T  H 


AMATErns  Handbook 


PRACTICAL     INFORMATION 


FOR  THE  WORKSHOP  AND  THE  LABORATORY, 


CONTAINING    CLEAR    AND    FV1A.    DIKEC'ilONS    FOR 


Bronzing,  Lacquering,  Polishin 
Polishing  Wood,  Soldering,  Br 
Tempering      Tools,      Case  -  hard 


,  Stair. ing  and 

Working   Steel, 

■    ...  :.-tnO 

Working    Glass,  "Va;    ushing,    Silver  G   icl'mg,  Pre- 

paring  Skins,  W     'grproofing,  Making     Vlloys,   t- asil,!e 


Metals,  F.i  ures,  Polishing  Powders,  Signal 

■ 
Lights,  H  "■< '-  t.,  tnjj.   lored   Fires  for  Tableaux,  Cartgut, 

(.   -i^v^.s.  Glues,  <&c,  <&e. 


'LV    ENLARGED. 


,:r/;v. 


j 


NEW    YORK 


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A  Copy  of  this  look  eceipt 


of  15  one-cent  sta».?>s.     Industrial  Pub.  Co.,  17'  Broadway,  IV.  J. 


* 


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THE 


Amateur's  Handbook 

OF 

PRACTICAL    INFORMATION 

FOR  THE  WORKSHOP  AND  THE  LABORATORY, 

CONTAINING   CLEAR  AND   FULL  DIRECTIONS    FOR 

Bronzing,  Lacquering,  Polishing  Metal,  Staining  and 
Polishing  Wood,  Soldering,  Brazing,  Working  Steel, 
Tempering  Tools,  Case  -  hardening,  Cutting  and 
Working  Glass,  Varnishing,  Silvering,  Gilding,  Pre- 
paring Skins,  Waterproofing,  Making  Alloys,  Fusible 
Metals,  Freezing  Mixtures,  Polishing  Powders,  Signal 
Lights,  Harmless  Colored  Fires  for  Tableaux,  Catgut, 
Cements,  Glues,  &e.,  &e. 

SECOND  EDITION.— GREATLY    ENLARGED. 

'P'RICB  15   CEA'TS. 

NEW    YORK : 

THE    INDUSTRIAL    PUBLICATION    CO. 

18.79. 

£Sr"  A  Copy  of  this  book  will  be  sent  to  any  Address  post-paid  on  receipt 
of  15  one-cent  stamps.     Industrial  Pub.  Co.,  176  Broadway,  N.  Y. 

Copyright  secured,  1878. 


THE 


PEEFACE   TO   FIRST   EDITION. 

It  is  a  fact  well  known  to  the  editors  of  scientific  and 
technical  journals,  that  there  are  a  series  of  questions  to 
which  answers  are  continually  desired  by  new  subscribers, 
no  matter  how  often  these  questions  may  have  been  previ- 
ously discussed.  To  give  a  reply  to  every  one,  in  the  col- 
umns of  the  journal,  would  be  an  injustice  to  other  readers  ; 
to  reply  to  each  by  letter  would  be  an  endless  task,  and  to 
ignore  them  entirely  would  be  inadmissible.  Fortunately 
the  majority  of  these  questions  may  be  fully  and  thoroughly 
answered  once  for  all  in  a  few  pages  of  type,  and  this  is  the 
end  and  aim  of  the  present  work,  which  has  been  pub- 
lished at  a  price  which  places  it  within  the  reach  of  all. 

The  utmost  care  has  been  taken  to  give  none  but  trust- 
worthy directions  and  recipes.  Most  persons  who  have  oc- 
casion to  consult  an  ordinary  book  of  recipes  must  be  pain- 
fully aware  of  the  fact  that  accuracy  seems  to  be  the  last 
quality  sought  for  by  the  compilers  and  indeed  by  most  of 
those  who  contribute  recipes  to  our  technical  journals. 
With  them  complexity  is  in  more  favor  than  efficiency,  and 
we  therefore  see  long  lists  of  ingredients  strung  out  one 
ifter  the  other,  most  of  them  being  useless  and  some  being 
even  injurious.  All  this  we  have  tried  to  avoid,  and  we  feel 
confident  that  the  amateur  and  those  whose  skill  and  ex- 
perience is  not  verv  great  will  find  here  an  efficient  guide. 

New  York,  October,  1878. 


PREFACE  TO  SECOXD  EDITION. 

That  this  little  book  supplied  a  real  want  has  been  very 
well  shown  by  the  rapidity  with  which  the  first  edition, 
though  a  large,  one,  has  been  sold  off.  In  this  edition  we 
have  given  a  good  deal  of  new  matter  and  it  is  hoped  that 
in  its  extended  form  it  will  be  still  more  acceptable  to  those 
who  desire  information  of  the  kind  which  it  contains. 

Editor  Young  Scientist. 

Nt  w  York,  February,  1879. 


CONTENTS. 


TAOB 

Alloys. — Alloy  for  Filling  Holes  in  Iron. — Aluminium 
Silver. —Amalgam  for  Silvering  the  Insides  of  Glass 
Globes,  etc. — Amalgam  for  Electrical  Machines. — 
Copper  Amalgam. — Babbitt  Metal  for  Lining  Boxes. 
— Fusible  Alloys. — Pewter. — Type  Metal 7 

Brazing  and  Soldering 9 

Bronzing. — Dark  Bronze  for  Brass  Instruments. — Bed 

Bronze  for  ditto. — Bright  Bronze. — Antique  Bronze.     10 

Browning    Gun    Barrels. — Process  of    Browning. — 

Varnish  for  Browned  Barrels „  „ 11 

Case-Hardening. — Deep  Process. — Surface  Process. . .     12 

Cements. — Aquarium  Cement. — Armenian  Cement. — 
Buckland's  Cement  for  Labels. — Cement  for  Glass, 
Earthenware,  etc. — Cement  for  Kerosene  Lamps. — 
Cement  for  attaching  Leather  to  Metal. — Cement  for 
Leather  Belting. — Cement  for  attaching  Metal  to 
Glass. — Cementing  Labels  to  Metal. — Cheese  Ce- 
ment for  Mending  China,  etc. — Chinese  Cement 
(shio  Had). — Chinese  Cement. — Faraday's  Cement, — 
Electrical  Cement.  —  Glue. — Iron  Cement. — Cast 
Iron  Cement. — Japanese  Cement. — Liquid  Glue. — 
Mouth  Glue. — Mucilage  for  Labels. — Paris  Cement 
for  Mending  Shells,  etc. — Paste. — Sorel's  Cement. — 
Transparent  Cement  for  Glass. — Turner's  Cement. 
— Wollaston's  Cement  13 

Liquid  for  Desilvering 19 

Etching  Liquid  for  Steel 19 

Etching  on  Glass 19 

Gilding. — Gilding  on   Leather,    Cloth,   etc.  —  Gilding 

Wood.— Gilding  Metals 20 

Glass  Working. — Cutting  Glass. — Drilling  Holes  in 
Glass. — Turning  Glass  in  the  Lathe.— To  Kemove 

Tight  Glass  Stoppers 20 

Hardening  Copper,  Brass,  etc 23 


CONTENTS. 

PA.0B 

Inks. — Black  Ink. — Runge's  Black  Ink. — Blue  Ink.— 
Carmine  Ink. — Red  Ink. — Marking  Ink  for  Linen. — 
Gold  Ink. — Silver  Ink. — Sympathetic  or  Secret  Ink 
for  writing  privately  on  Postal  Cards,  Letters,  etc.     23 

Lacquer. — Process  for  Lacquering. — Deep  Gold  Lac- 
quer.— Bright  Gold  Lacquer. — Pale  Gold  Lacquer. 
— Lacquer  used  by  A.  Ross 24 

Lubricators. —  Fine   Lubricating   Oil. —  Booth's  Axle 

Grease. — Anti-  Attrition 2G 

Polishing  Metals 27 

Polishing  Wood 29 

Silvering. — Process  for  Silvering. — Silvering  Powder. 

— Novargent.— Silvering  Amalgam 30 

Skins,  Tanning  and  Curing. — Curing  Fur  Skins. — 
To  Prepare  Sheep  Skins  for  Mats. — Skins  of  Rab- 
bits and  other  Small  Animals 31 

Staining  Wood. — Processes  for  Staining  and  Improv- 
ing Wood. — Mahogany. — Ebonizing  Wood. — Black 
Walnut  Stain. — Brown  Stain 31 

Steel,  Working  and  Tempering.— Forging  Steel.— 
To  Restore  Burnt  Cast  Steel. — Hardening  and  Tem- 
pering Steel 34 

Varnishes. — White  Spirit  Varnish. — Shellac  Varnish. 

—  Turpentine    Varnish.  —  Varnish    for   Violins. — 
White,  Hard  Varnish. —  White  Varnish  for  Paper. 

—  Mastic   Varnish.  —  Map  Varnish.  —  Varnish  for 
Bright  Iron  Work. — Black  Varnish  for  Iron 3C> 

Waterproofing.  —  General  Principles.  —  To  Render 
Leather  Waterproof. —  Waterproof  Canvas  for  Cov- 
ering Carts,  etc. — To  Make  Sail  Cloth  Impervious 
to  Water.— Waterproofing  Cloth,  etc • 37 


CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

Freezing  Mixtures. — Without  Ice. — With  Ice  or  Snow    40 

Paper. — Tracing  Paper. — Waxed  Paper 41 

Polishing  Powders. — Chalk  or  Whiting. — Prepared 
Chalk. — Crocus  or  Rouge. — Andrew  Ross's  Mode  of 
Preparing  Do. — Lord  Ross's  Mode  of  Preparing  Do. 
— Oilstone  Powder. — Pumice-Stone  Powder. — Putty 
Powder. — Andrew  Ross's  Method  of  Preparing 
Putty  Powder 42 

Signal  and  Colored  Lights. — Recipes  from  U.  S. 
Ordnance  Manual. — Lights  for  Indoor  Illumination. 
— Ghosts,  Demons,  Spectres,  Murderers,  etc. — Cau- 
tion       48 

Miscellaneous  Recipes. — To  Remove  Blue  Color  from 
Steel  or  Iron. — Size  for  Improving  poor  Drawing 
Paper. — To  Fix  Pencil  Marks  so  they  will  not  rub 
out. — Cure  for  Burns. — Care  of  Looking-glasses. — 
Secret  of  Laundry  Gloss. — Kalsomine,  Materials 
and  Process  for. — To  Stain  Dried  Grass. — Amalga- 
mating Zincs  for  Galvanic  Batteries. — Amber,  to 
Unite  Broken  Pieces. — Arsenical  Preservative  Pow- 
der.— Arsenical  Soap. — Black  Varnish  for  Cast  Iron. 
— Black  Varnish  for  Optical  Work. — To  make  Cat- 
gut Cords. — Coral  Artificial. — To  Render  Dresses 
Fire  Proof. — Glass  Paper. — Do.  Water-proof. — To 
Powder  Glass  Easily. — Imitation  Ground  Glass. — 
Packing  Glass  Ware. — Javelle  Water. — Jewelry- 
Cleaning. — Pillows  for  the  Sick  Room. — Sieves  for 
the  Laboratory. — Silvering  Glass  Mirrors  for  Opti- 
cal Purposes. — To  Bleach  Wax. — To  Pulverize 
.Zinc  52 


AMATEUR'S   HANDBOOK 


Alloys. 

Alloy  for  filling  holes  in  Iron. — Lead,  9  ;  antimony,  2  ;  bis- 
muth, 1.  This  alloy  expands  in  cooling,  so  that  when  a  hole 
is  filled  with  the  melted  alloy,  the  plug  is  not  loose  when  it 
is  cold. 

Aluminium  Silver. — Copper,  70  ;  nickel,  23 ;  aluminum,  7. 
Has  a  beautiful  color  and  takes  a  high  polish. 

Amalgam  for  Silvering  the  insides  of  Globes,  etc. — 1.  Lead, 
2oz  ;  tin,  2oz  ;  bismuth,  2oz  ;  mercury,  4oz.  Melt  the  first 
three  and  add  the  mercury.  The  glass  being  well  cleaned, 
is  carefully  warmed  and  the  melted  amalgam  is  poured  in 
and  the  vessel  turned  round  until  all  parts  are  coated.  At  a 
certain  temperature  this  amalgam  adheres  readily  to  glass. 

2.  Bismuth,  8 ;  lead,  5  ;  tin,  3  ;  mercury,  8.  Use  as 
directed  for  No.  1. 

Amalgam  for  Electrical  Machines. — 1.  Tin,  loz  ;  zinc, 
loz ;  mercury,  2oz. 

2.  Bcettger's.  Zinc,  2oz ;  mercury,  loz.  At  a  certain 
temperature  (easily  found  by  experiment)  it  powders  readily 
and  should  be  kept  in  a  tightly  corked  bottle.  Said  to  be 
very  good. 

Copper  Amalgam. — Dissolve  3oz.  sulphate  of  copper  in 
water  and  add  loz.  sulphuric  acid  Hang  clean  iron  scraps 
in  the  solution  until  the  copper  has  fallen  down  in  fine  pow- 
der.    Wash  this  powder,  and  for  each  ounce  of  powder  take 


8  amateur's 

7oz.  of  mercury.  To  incorporate  the  mercury  and  copper, 
first  moisten  the  latter  with  protonitrate  of  mercury  and  then 
add  the  mercury  and  rub  up  in  a  mortar.  When  thoroughly 
mixed  wash  off  all  acid.  This  amalgam  is  easily  moulded, 
adheres  readily  to  glass,  takes  a  fine  polish  and  becomes  quite 
hard  in  a  short  time. 

Babbitt's  Anti- Attrition  Metal  for  lining  Boxes. — First 
melt  four  pounds  of  copper,  and,  when  melted,  add,  by  de- 
grees, twelve  pounds  best  quality  Banca  tin  ;  then  add  eight 
pounds  regulus  of  antimony,  and  then  twelve  pounds  more  of 
tin,  while  the  composition  is  in  a  melted  state.  After  the  cop- 
per is  melted,  and  four  or  five  pounds  of  tin  have  been  added, 
the  heat  should  be  lowered  to  a  dull  red  heat,  in  order  to 
prevent  oxidation  ;  then  add  the  remainder  of  the  metal.  In 
melting  the  composition  it  is  better  to  keep  a  small  quantity 
of  powdered  charcoal  in  the  pot,  on  the  surface  of  the  metal. 

The  above  composition  is  made  in  the  first  place  and  is 
called  hardening  ;  for  lining  work  take  one  pound  of  the 
hardening  and  melt  with  two  pounds  Banca  tin,  which  pro- 
duces the  very  best  lining  metal.  So  that  the  proportions  for 
lining  metal  is  four  pounds  copper,  eight  regulus  of  antimo- 
ny and  ninety-six  pounds  tin. 

The  object  in  first  preparing  the  hardening  is  economy, 
for  when  the  whole  is  melted  together  there  is  a  great  waste 
of  metal,  as  the  hardening  is  melted  at  a  much  less  degree 
of  heat  than  the  copper  and  antimony  separately. 

Fusible  Alloys. — 1.  Bismuth,  8  ;  lead,  5  ;  tin,  3 .  Melts 
with  the  heat  of  boiling  water. 

2.  Lead,  3  ;  tin,  2  ;  bismuth,  5.  Melts  at  197  degrees, 
Fahrenheit. 

3.  Bismuth,  15 ;  lead,  8 ;  tin,  4  ;  cadmium,  3.  Melts  be- 
tween 150  and  160  deg.  Fahr. 

Pewter. — Tin,  4  ;  lead,  1. 

Type  Metal. — Lead,  44 ;  antimony,  8  ;  tin,  1. 


HANDBOOK.  9 

Brazing  and  Soldering, 

The  term  soldering  is  generally  applied  when  fusible  al- 
loys of  lead  and  tin  are  employed.  When  hard  metals,  such 
as  copper,  brass  or  silver  are  used,  the  term  brazing  (derived 
from  brass)  is  more  appropriate. 

In  uniting  tin,  copper,  brass,  etc.,  with  any  of  the  soft 
solders,  a  copper  soldering-iron  is  generally  used.  This  tool 
and  the  manner  of  using  it  are  too  well  known  to  need  de- 
scription. In  many  cases,  however,  the  work  may  be  done 
more  neatly  without  the  soldering-iron,  by  filing  or  turning 
the  joints  so  tbat  they  fit  closely,  moistening  them  with  sol- 
dering fluid,  placing  a  piece  of  smooth  tin-foil  between  them, 
tying  them  together  with  binding  wire  and  heating  the 
whole  in  a  lamp  or  fire  till  the  tin-foil  melts.  We  have 
often  joined  pieces  of  brass  in  this  way  so  that  the  joints 
were  quite  invisible.  Indeed,  with  good  soft  solder  almost 
all  work  may  be  done  over  a  lamp  without  the  use  of  a  sol- 
dering-iron. 

Advantage  may  be  taken  of  the  varying  degrees  of  fusi- 
bility of  solders  to  make  several  joints  in  the  same  piece  of 
work.  Thus,  if  the  first  joint  has  been  made  with  fine  tin- 
ner's solder,  there  would  be  no  danger  of  melting  it  in  mak- 
ing a  joint  near  it  with  bismuth  solder,  composed  of  lead,  4, 
tin,  4,  and  bismuth,  1,  and  the  melting  point  of  both  is  far 
enough  removed  from  that  of  a  solder  composed  of  lead,  2, 
tin,  1,  and  bismuth,  2,  to  be  in  no  danger  of  fusion  during 
the  use  of  the  latter. 

Soft  solders  do  not  make  malleable  joints.  To  join  brass, 
copper  or  iron  so  as  to  have  the  joint  very  strong  and  mal- 
leable, hard  solder  must  be  used.  For  this  purpose  equal 
parts  of  silver  and  brass  will  be  found  excellent,  though  for 
iron,  copper,  or  very  infusible  brass  nothing  is  better  than 
silver  coin  rolled  out  thin,  which  may  be  done  by  any  silver- 
smith or  dentist.     This  makes  decidedly  the  toughest  of  all 


10  amateur's 

joints,  and  as  a  little  silver  goes  a  long  way,  it  is  not  very 
expensive. 

For  most  hard  solders  borax  is  the  best  flux.  It  dissolves 
any  oxides  which  may  exist  on  the  surface  of  the  metal  and 
protects  the  latter  from  the  further  action  of  the  air,  so  that 
the  solder  is  enabled  to  come  into  actual  contact  with  the 
surfaces  which  are  to  be  joined.  For  soft  solders  the  best 
flux  is  a  soldering  fluid  which  may  be  prepared  by  saturat- 
ing equal  parts  of  water  and  hydrochloric  acid  (spirit  of  salt) 
with  zinc.  The  addition  of  a  little  sal  ammoniac  is  said  to 
improve  it.  In  using  ordinary  tinner's  solder,  resin  is  the 
best  aud  cheapest  flux.  It  possesses  this  important  advan- 
tage over  chloride  of  zinc,  that  it  does  not  induce  subsequent 
corrosion  of  the  article  to  which  it  is  applied.  When  chlo- 
rides have  been  applied  to  any  thing  that  is  liable  to  rust,  it  is 
necessary  to  see  that  they  are  thoroughly  washed  off  and  the 
articles  carefully  dried. 

More  minute  directions  may  be  found  in  the  Young 
Scientist,  vol.  I,  page  56. 

Bronzing. 

Two  distinct  processes  have  had  this  name  applied  to 
them.  The  first  consists  in  staining  brass  work  a  dark  brown 
or  bronze  color  and  lacquering  it ;  the  second  consists  in  par- 
tially corroding  the  brass  so  as  to  give  it  that  greenish  hue 
which  is  peculiar  to  ancient  brass  work.  The  first  is  gener- 
ally applied  to  instruments  and  apparatus,  the  second  to 
articles  of  ornament. 

Bronze  for  Brass  Instruments. — 1.  The  cheapest  and  sim- 
plest is  undoubtedly  a  light  coat  of  plumbago  or  black  lead. 
After  brushing  the  article  with  plumbago  place  it  on  a  clear 
fire  till  it  is  made  too  hot  to  be  touched.  Apply  a  plate 
brush  as  soon  as  it  ceases  to  be  hot  enough  to  burn  the  brush. 
A  few  strokes  of  the  brush  will  produce  a  dark  brown  polish 


HANDBOOK.  11 

approaching  black,  but  entirely  distinct  from  the  well  known 
appearance  of  black  lead.     Lacquer  with  any  desired  tint. 

2.  Plate  powder  or  rouge  may  be  used  instead  of  plum- 
bago and  gives  very  beautiful  effects. 

3.  Make  the  articles  bright,  then  dip  in  aqua  fortis,  which 
must  be  thoroughly  rinsed  off  with  clean  water.  Then  make 
the  following  mixture  :  Hydrochloric  acid,  6  lbs.;  sulphate 
of  iron,  ^  lb.;  white  arsenic,  i  lb.  Be  careful  to  get  all  the 
ingredients  pure.  Let  the  articles  lie  in  the  mixture  till 
black,  take  out  and  dry  in  hot  sawdust,  polish  with  black 
lead  and  lacquer  with  green  lacquer. 

Antique  Bronze. — Dissolve  loz.  sal-ammoniac,  3oz.  cream 
tartar  and  6oz.  common  salt  in  1  pi^t  of  hot  water;  add 
2oz.  nitrate  of  copper  dissolved  in  I  pint  of  water  ;  mix  well 
and,  by  means  of  a  brush,  apply  it  repeatedly  to  the  article, 
which  should  be  placed  in  a  damp  situation. 

Browning  Grim  Barrels. 

To  obtain  a  handsomely  browned  barrel  we  must  not  only 
use  a  first  rate  recipe  but  we  must  apply  a  good  deal  of  skill 
and  no  small  amount  of  hard  work.  When  barrels  are  im- 
perfectly browned  the  fault  lies  more  frequently  in  defective 
work  than  in  the  use  of  a  poor  recipe. 

The  following  are  the  directions  given  in  the  United 
States  Ordnance  Manual,  and  it  is  to  be  presumed  that  these 
are  the  directions  that  are  followed  in  the  government 
armories. 

Materials  for  Browning  Mixture. — Spirits  of  wine,  l^oz.; 
tincture  of  steel,  l^oz.;  corrosive  sublimate,  ljoz.;  sweet 
spirits  of  nitre,  \\oz.\  blue  vitriol,  loz.;  nitric  acid,  foz.  To 
be  mixed  and  dissolved  in  one  quart  of  warm  water,  the 
mixture  to  be  kept  in  glass  bottles  and  not  in  earthen  jugs. 

Previous  to  commencing  the  operation  of  browning  it  is 
necessary  that  the  barrel  or  other  part  should  be  made  quite 


12  amateub's 

bright  with  emery  or  a  fine  smooth  file  (but  not  burnished), 
after  which  it  must  be  carefully  cleaned  from  all  greasiness  ; 
a  small  quantity  of  powdered  lime  rubbed  well  over  every 
part  of  the  barrel,  is  the  best  for  this  purpose.  Plugs  of 
wood  are  then  to  be  put  into  the  muzzle  of  the  barrel  and 
into  .the  vent,  and  the  mixture  applied  to  every  part  with  a 
•  clean  sponge  or  rag.  The  barrel  is  then  to  be  exposed  to  the 
air  for  twenty-four  hours,  after  which  time  it  is  to  be  well 
rubbed  over  with  a  steel  scratch-card  or  scratch-brush,  until 
the  rust  is  entirely  removed  ;  the  mixture  may  then  be  ap- 
plied again,  as  before,  and  in  a  few  hours  the  barrel  will  be 
sufficiently  corroded  for  the  operation  of  scratch-brushing  to 
be  repeated.  The  same  process  of  scratching  off  the  rust 
and  applying  the  mixture  is  to  be  repeated  twice  or  three 
times  a  day  for  four  or  five  days,  by  which  time  the  barrel 
will  be  of  a  very  dark  brown  color. 

When  the  barrel  is  sufficiently  brown  and  the  rust  has 
been  carefully  removed  from  every  part,  about  a  quart  of 
boiling  water  should  be  poured  over  every  part  of  the  barrel 
in  order  that  the  action  of  the  acid  mixture  upon  the  barrel 
may  be  destroyed  and  the  rust  thereby  prevented  from 
rising  again. 

The  barrel,  when  cold,  should  afterwards  be  rubbed  over 
with  linseed  oil  or  sperm  oil.  It  is  particularly  directed 
that  the  steel  scratch-card  or  scratch-brush  be  used  in  the 
place  of  a  hard  hair-brush,  otherwise  the  browning  will  not 
be  durable  nor  have  a  good  appearance. 

Varnish  for  Browned  Iron. — Shellac,  loz.;  dragon's 
blood,  T\  of  an  oz.;  alcohol,  1  quart. 

Very  complete  directions  for  browning  barrels  may  be 
found  in  a  little  book  called  "  Shooting  on  the  Wing,"  which 
may  be  obtained  from  the  publishers  of  this  volume. 

Case  Hardening. 

1.  Where  it  is  desired  that  the  articles  should  be  hard- 


HANDBOOK.  1<T 

ened  to  a  considerable  depth  :  char  a  quantity  of  bones  just 
enough  (and  no  more)  to  enable  you  to  powder  them  with  a 
hammer.  Lay  a  layer  of  this  bone  dust  over  the  bottom  of 
an  iron  tray  or  bos,  which  may  be  easily  made  by  bending 
heavy  sheet  iron  into  form.  Lay  the  articles  to  be  hardened 
on  the  bone  dust,  taking  care  that  they  do  not  touch  each 
other.  Cover  with  bone  dust  and  fill  up  the  tray  with  spent 
dust,  charcoal  or  sand.  Expose  to  a  bright  cherry  red  heat  for 
half  an  hour  or  an  hour  and  then  turn  the  entire  contents  of 
the  tray  into  a  vessel  of  cold  water.  We  have  seen  beautiful 
results  obtained  by  this  process  when  carried  out  in  a  com- 
mon kitchen  stove. 

2.  Where  mere  superficial  hardening  is  required,  heat 
the  article  to  be  hardened  to  a  bright  cherry  red  ;  sprinkle 
it  liberally  with  powdered  prussiate  of  potash.  The  salt 
will  fuse,  and  if  the  piece  of  iron  is  small  and  gets  cooled, 
heat  it  again  and  plunge  into  cold  water. 

Cements. 

Aquarium  Cement. — Litharge,  fine,  white,  dry  sand  and 
plaster  of  Paris,  each  1  gill ;  finely  pulverized  resin,  £  gill. 
Mix  thoroughly  and  make  into  a  paste  with  boiled  linseed 
oil  to  which  dryer  has  been  added.  Beat  it  well  and  let  it 
stand  four  or  five  hours  before  using  it.  After  it  has  stood 
for  15  hours,  however,  it  loses  its  strength.  Glass  cemented 
into  its  frame  with  this  cement  is  good  for  either  salt  or  fresh 
water.  It  has  been  used  at  the  Zoological  Gardens,  London, 
with  great  success.  It  might  be  useful  for  constructing 
tanks  for  other  purposes  or  for  stopping  leaks. 

Armenian  Cement. — The  jewellers  of  Turkey,  who  are 
mostly  Armenians,  have  a  singular  method  of  ornamenting 
watch-cases,  etc.,  with  diamonds  and  other  precious  stones  by 
simply  gluing  or  cementing  them  on.  The  stone  is  set  in 
gold  or  silver,  and  the  lower  part  of  the  metal  made  flat  or 


11  amateur's 

to  correspond  with  that  part  to  which  it  is  to  be  fixed.  It 
is  then  warmed  gently  and  the  glue  applied,  which  is  so 
very  strong  that  the  parts  thus  cemented  never  separate. 
This  glue,  which  will  firmly  unite  bits  of  glass  and  even 
polished  steel,  and  may  of  course  be  applied  to  a  vast  variety 
of  useful  purposes,  is  thus  made  :  Dissolve  five  or  six  bits 
of  gum  mastic,  each  the  size  of  a  large  pea,  in  as  much 
alcohol  as  will  suffice  to  render  it  liquid  ;  in  another  vessel 
dissolve  as  much  isinglass,  previously  a  little  softened  in 
water,  (though  none  of  the  water  must  be  used,)  in  good 
brandy  or  rum,  as  will  make  a  two  ounce  phial  of  very  strong 
glue,  adding  two  small  bits  of  gum  galbanum,  or  ammoni- 
acum,  which  must  be  rubbed  or  ground  until  they  are  dis- 
solved. Then  mix  the  whole  with  a  sufficient  heat,  keep 
the  glue  in  a  phial  closely  stopped,  and  when  it  is  to  be  used 
set  the  phial  in  boiling  water.  To  avoid  the  cracking  of  the 
phial  by  exposure  to  such  sudden  heat,  use  a  thin  green 
glass  phial,  and  hold  it  in  the  steam  for  a  few  seconds  before 
immersing  it  in  the  hot  water. 

Buckland's  Cement  for  Labels. — Finely  powdered  white 
sugar,  loz.;  finely  powdered  starch,  3oz.;  finely  powdered 
gum  arabic,  4oz.  Rub  well  together  in  a  dry  mortar ;  then 
little  by  little  add  cold  water  until  it  is  of  the  thickness  of 
melted  glue  ;  put  in  a  wide  mouthed  bottle  and  cork  closely. 
The  powder,  thoroughly  ground  and  mixed,  may  be  kept  for 
any  length  of  time  in  a  wide  mouthed  bottle,  and  when 
wanted  a  little  may  be  mixed  with  water  with  a  stiff  brush. 

Cement  for  Glass,  Earthenware,  etc. — Dilute  white  of  egg 
with  its  bulk  of  water  and  beat  up  thoroughly.  Mix  to  the 
consistence  of  thin  paste  with  powdered  quicklime.  Must 
be  used  immediately. 

Cement  for  Kerosene  Lamps. — The  cement  commonly 
used  is  plaster  of  Paris,  which  is  porous  and  quickly  pene- 
trated by  the  kerosene.     Another  cement  which  has  not  this 


HANDBOOK.  15 

defect  is  made  with  three  parts  of  resin,  one"  of  caustic  soda 
and  five  of  water.  This  composition  is  mixed  with  half  its 
weight  of  plaster  of  Paris.  It  sets  firmly  in  about  three- 
quarters  of  an  hour.  It  is  said  to  be  of  great  adhesive  power, 
not  permeable  to  kerosene,  a  low  conductor  of  heat  and  but 
superficially  attacked  by  hot  water. 

Cement  for  attaching  Leather  to  Metal. — Wash  the  metal 
with  hot  gelatine  ;  steep  the  leather  in  an  infusion  of  nut 
galls  (hot)  and  bring  the  two  together. 

Cement  for  Leather  Belting. — One  who  has  tried  every- 
thing says  that  after  an  experience  of  fifteen  years  he  has 
found  nothing  to  equal  the  following  :  Common  glue  and 
isinglass,  equal  parts,  soaked  for  10  hours  in  just  enough 
water  to  cover  them.  Bring  gradually  to  a  boiling  heat  and 
add  pure  tannin  until  the  whole  becomes  ropy  or  appears 
like  the  white  of  eggs.  Buff  off  the  surfaces  to  be  joined, 
apply  this  cement  warm,  and  clamp  firmly. 

Cement  for  attaching  Metal  to  Class. — Copal  varnish,  15  ; 
drying  oil,  5  ;  turpentine,  3.  Melt  in  a  water  bath  and  add 
10  parts  slacked  lime. 

Cementing  Isabels  to  Metal. — For  attaching  labels  to  tin 
and  other  bright  metallic  surfaces,  first  rub  the  surface  with 
a  mixture  of  muriatic  acid  and  alcohol  ;  then  apply  the  label 
with  a  very  thin  coating  of  the  paste  and  it  will  adhere  al- 
most as  well  as  on  glass. 

Cheese  Cement  for  mending  China,  etc. — Take  skim  milk 
cheese,  cut  it  in  slices  and  boil  it  in  water.  Wash  it  in  cold 
water  and  knead  it  in  warm  water  several  times.  Place  it 
warm  on  a  levigating  stone  and  knead  it  with  quicklime. 
It  will  join  marble,  stone  or  earthenware  so  that  the  joining 
is  scarcely  to  be  discovered. 

Chinese  Cement  {Schio-liao). — To  three  parts  of  fresh 
beaten  blood  are  added  four  parts  of  slaked  lime  and  a  little 


16  amateur's 

alum  ;  a  thin,  pasty  mass  is  produced,  which  can  be  used  im- 
mediately. Objects  which  are  to  be  made  specially  water- 
proof are  painted  by  the  Chinese  twice,  or  at  the  most  three 
times.  Dr.  Scherzer  saw  in  Pekin  a  wooden  box  which  had 
travelled  the  tedious  road  via  Siberia  to  St.  Petersburg  and 
back,  which  was  found  to  be  perfectly  sound  and  water- 
proof. Even  baskets  made  of  straw  became,  by  the  use  of 
this  cement,  perfectly  serviceable  in  the  transportation  of 
oil.  Pasteboard  treated  therewith  receives  the  appearance 
and  strength  of  wood.  Most  of  the  wooden  public  buildings 
of  China  are  painted  with  schio-liao,  which  gives  them  an 
unpleasant  reddish  appearance,  but  adds  to  their  durability. 
This  cement  was  tried  in  the  Austrian  department  of  Agri- 
culture, and  by  the  "Vienna  Association  of  Industry,"  and 
in  both  cases  the  statements  of  Dr.  Scherzer  were  found  to 
be  strictly  accurate. 

Chinese  Cement. — Shellac  dissolved  in  alcohol.  Used  for 
joining  wood,  earthenware,  glass,  etc. 

Faraday's  Cap  Cement. — Electrical  Cement. — Resin,  5oz.; 
beeswax,  loz.;  red  ochre  or  Venetian  red  in  powder,  loz. 
Dry  the  earth  thoroughly  on  a  stove  at  a  temperature  above 
212  deg.  Melt  the  wax  and  resin  together  and  stir  in  the 
powder  by  degrees.  Stir  until  cold  lest  the  earthy  matter 
settle  to  the  bottom.  Used  for  fastening  brass  work  to  glass 
tubes,  flasks,  etc. 

Glue  is  undoubtedly  the  most  important  cement  used  in 
the  arts.  Good  glue  is  hard,  clear  (not  necessarily  light-col- 
ored, however,)  and  free  from  bad  taste  and  smell.  Glue 
which  is  easily  dissolved  in  cold  water  is  not  strong.  Good 
glue  merely  s wells  in  cold  water  and  must  be  heated  to  the 
boiling  point  before  it  will  dissolve  thoroughly.  Great  care 
#must  be  taken  not  to  burn  it  and,  therefore,  it  should  always 
be  prepared  in  a  water  bath. 

Iron  Cement  for  closing  the  Joints  of  Iron  Pipes. — Take 


HANDBOOK.  17 

of  iron  borings  coarse  powdered,  5  pounds ;  powdered  sal- 
ammoniac,  2oz.;  sulphur,  loz.,  and  water  sufficient  to  moisten 
it.  This  composition  hardens  rapidly  ;  but  if  time  can  be  al- 
lowed it  sets  more  firmly  without  the  sulphur.  It  must  be 
used  as  soon  as  mixed  and  rammed  tightly  into  the  joints. 

Cast  Iron  Cement. — Take  sal-ammoniac,  2oz.;  Bublimed 
sulphur,  loz.;  cast-iron  filings  or  fine  turnings,  1  lb.  Mix  in 
a  mortar  and  keep  the  powder  dry.  When  it  is  to  be  used, 
mix  it  with  twenty  times  its  weight  of  clean  iron  turnings 
or  filings,  and  grind  the  whole  in  a  mortar  ;  then  wet  it  with 
water  until  it  becomes  of  convenient  consistence,  when  it  is 
to  be  applied  to  the  joint.  After  a  time  it  becomes  as  hard 
and  strong  as  any  part  of  the  metal. 

Japanese  Cement. — Paste  made  of  fine  rice  flour. 

Liquid  Glue. — 1.  Dissolve  8oz.  glue  in  -|  pint  of  water 
and  add  slowly  2|oz.  strong  nitric  acid. 
2.  Dissolve  glue  in  strong  vinegar. 

Mouth  Qlue  or  Portable  Olue. — Good  glue,  lib.;  isinglass, 
4oz.  Soften  in  water,  boil  and  add  £lb.  fine  brown  sugar. 
Boil  till  pretty  thick  and  pour  into  moulds. 

Mucilage  for  Labels. — 1.  Macerate  5  parts  of  good  glue  in 
18  parts  of  water.  Boil  and  add  9  parts  rock  candy  and  3 
parts  gum  arabic. 

2.  Mix  dextrine  with  water  and  add  a  drop  or  two  of 
glycerine. 

3.  A  mixture  of  1  part  of  dry  chloride  of  calcium,  or 
2  parts  of  the  same  salt  in  the  crystallized  form,  and  36  parts 
of  gum  arabic,  dissolved  in  water  to  a  proper  consistency, 
forms  a  mucilage  which  holds  well,  does  not  crack  by  drying 
and  yet  does  not  attract  sufficient  moisture  from  the  air  to 
become  wet  in  damp  weather. 

Paris  Cement  for  mending  Shells  and  other  specimens. — 
Gum  arabic,  5  ;  sugar  candy,  2.     White  lead. 


18  amateur's 

Paste. — 1.  The  best  paste  is  made  of  good  flour,  well 
boiled.     Resin,  etc.,  do  more  harm  than  good. 

2.  An  excellent  white  paste  may  be  made  by  dissolving 
'2ioz.  gum  arabic  in  2  quarts  hot  water  and  thickening  with 
wheat  flour.  To  this  is  added  a  solution  of  alum  and  sugar 
>of  lead  ;  the  mixture  is  heated  and  stirred  till  about  to  boil, 
when  it  is  allowed  to  cool. 

3.  Four  parts,  by  weight,  of  glue  are  allowed  to  soften  in 
15  parts  of  cold  water  for  some  hours,  and  then  moderately 
heated  till  the  solution  becomes  quite  clear.  65  parts  of 
boiling  water  are  now  added  with  stirring.  In  another  ves- 
sel 80  parts  of  starch  paste  are  stirred  up  with  20  parts  of 
cold  water,  so  that  a  thin  milky  fluid  is  obtained  without 
lumps.  Into  this  the  boiling  glue  solution  is  poured,  with 
constant  stirring,  and  the  whole  is  kept  at  the  boiling  tem- 
perature. After  cooling  10  drops  of  carbolic  acid  are  added 
to  the  paste.  This  paste  is  of  extraordinary  adhesive  power 
and  may  be  used  for  leather,  paper,  or  cardboard  with  great 
success.  It  must  be  preserved  in  closed  bottles  to  prevent 
evaporation  of  the  water,  and  will,  in  this  way,  keep  good 
for  years. 

4.  Rice  flour  makes  an  excellent  paste  for  fine  paper 
work. 

Sorel's  Cement. — Mix  commercial  zinc  white  with  \  its 
bulk  of  fine  sand,  adding  a  solution  of  chloride  of  zinc  of  1.26 
specific  gravity,  and  rub  the  whole  thoroughly  together  in  a 
mortar.  The  mixture  must  be  applied  at  once,  as  it  hardens 
very  quickly. 

Transparent  Cement  for  glass. — Fine  Canada  balsam. 

Turner's  Cement. — Melt  lib.  of  resin  in  a  pan  over  the 
fire  and,  when  melted,  add  a  J  of  a  lb.  of  pitch.  While  these 
are  boiling  add  brick  dust  until,  by  dropping  a  little  on  a 
cold  stone,  you  think  it  hard  enough.  Id  winter  it  may  be 
necessary  to  add  a  little  tallow.     By  means  of  this  cement  a 


HANDBOOK.  19 

piece  of  wood  may  be  fastened  to  the  chuck,  which  will 
hold  when  cool  ;  and  when  the  work  is  finished  it  may  be 
removed  by  a  smart  stroke  with  the  tool.  Any  traces  of  the 
cement  may  be  removed  from  the  work  by  means  of  benzine. 

Wollaston's  White  Cement  for  large  objects. — Beeswax, 
loz.;  resin,  4oz.;  powdered  plaster  of  Paris,  5oz.  Melt  to- 
gether. To  use,  warm  the  edges  of  the  specimen  and  use  the 
cement  warm. 

Desilvering. 

To  Dissolve  the  Silver  off  old  Plated  Goods. — Mix  loz.  of 
finely  powdered  saltpetre  with  lOoz.  sulphuric  acid  and 
steep  the  goods  in  this  mixture.  If  diluted  with  water  it 
acts  on  copper  and  other  metals,  but  if  very  strong  it  dis- 
solves the  silver  only,  and  may  be  used  to  dissolve  silver  ofl 
plated  goods  without  affecting  the  other  metals. 

Etching. 

Etching  Liquid  for  Steel. — Mix  loz.  sulphate  of  copper, 
£oz.  of  alum  and  |  a  tea-spoonful  of  salt  reduced  to  powder, 
with  1  gill  of  vinegar  and  20  drops  of  nitric  acid.  This 
liquid  may  be  used  either  for  eating  deeply  into  the  metal 
or  for  imparting  a  beautiful  frosted  appearance  to  the  sur- 
face, according  to  the  time  it  is  allowed  to  act.  Cover  the 
parts  you  wish  to  protect  from  its  influence  with  beeswax, 
tallow,  or  some  similar  substance. 

Etching  on  Olass. — Fancy  work,  ornamental  figures 
lettering  and  monograms  are  most  easily  and  neatly  cut 
into  glass  by  the  sand  blast  process,  a  simple  apparatus  for 
which  will  be  found  described  in  the  Young  Scientist.  Lines 
and  figures  on  tubes,  jars,  etc.,  may  be  deeply  etched  by 
smearing  the  surface  of  the  glass  with  beeswax,  drawing 
the  lines  with  a  steel  point  and  exposing  the  glass  to  the 
fumes  of  hydrofluoric  acid.     This  acid  is  obtained  by  putting 


20  amateur's 

powdered  fluor  spar  into  a  tray  made  of  sheet  lead  and  pour- 
ing sulphuric  acid  on  it,  after  which  the  tray  is  slightly 
warmed. 

Gilding. 

Gilding  on  Leather,  Cloth,  etc. — 1.  Articles  of  this  kind 
may  be  gilded  by  first  smearing  them  with  diluted  white  of 
egg  and  then  stamping  the  pattern  (letters  or  any  other 
device)  with  a  hot  metallic  stamp.  The  superfluous  gold  is 
removed  by  means  of  a  tuft  of  cotton.  To  gild  wood,  etc., 
first  make  the  surface  quite  smooth,  then  coat  with  gold 
size,  and  when  the  latter  has  dried  so  as  to  be  tacky,  apply 
gold  leaf.  When  well  dried  burnish  with  some  smooth  tool, 
preferably  a  bit  of  agate. 

2.  Ornamental  lines  of  gilding  may  be  painted  on  wood 
and  other  articles  by  means  of  a  fine  camel  hair  brush,  using 
shell  gold,  which  may  be  had  at  the  artists'  supply  stores. 

Gilding  Metals. — Polished  steel  may  be  beautifully  gilded 
by  means  of  the  ethereal  solution  of  gold.  Dissolve  pure 
gold  in  aqua  regia,  evaporate  gently  to  dryness,  so  as  to  drive 
off  the  superfluous  acid,  re-dissolve  in  water  and  add  three 
times  its  bulk  of  sulphuric  ether.  Allow  to  stand  for  twen- 
ty-four hours  in  a  stoppered  bottle  and  the  ethereal  solution 
of  gold  will  float  at  top.  Polished  steel  dipped  in  this  is  at 
once  beautifully  gilded,  and  by  tracing  patterns  on  the  sur- 
face of  the  metal  with  any  kind  of  varnish,  beautiful  de- 
vices in  plain  metal  and  gilt  will  be  produced.  For  other 
metals  the  electro  process  is  the  best. 

Glass  Working. 

Glass  is  usually  brought  into  shape  by  being  moulded  or 
blown.  Simple  and  complete  directions  for  blowing  small 
articles  may  be  found  in  the   Young  Scientist,  vol.  i,  p.  37. 


HANDBOOK.  21 

There  are  a  few  other  operations,  however,  which  are  con- 
stantly needed  by  the  amateur  and  which  we  will  describe. 

Cutting  Glass. — For  cutting  fiat  glass,  such  as  window- 
panes,  and  for  cutting  rounds  or  ovals  out  of  flat  glass,  the 
diamond  is  the  best  tool ;  and,  if  the  operator  has  no  dia- 
mond it  will  always  pay  to  carry  the  job  to  a  glajier  rather 
than  waste  time  and  make  a  poor  job  by  other  and  inferior 
means.  When,  however,  it  is  required  to  cut  off  a  very  lit- 
tle from  a  circle  or  oval,  the  diamond  is  not  available,  ex- 
cept in  very  skilful  hands.  In  this  case  a  pair  of  pliers  soft- 
ened by  heating,  or  very  dull  scissors  is  the  best  tool,  and 
the  cutting  is  best  performed  under  water.  A  little  practice 
will  enable  the  operator  to  shape  a  small  round  or  oval  with 
great  rapidity,  ease  and  precision.  When  bottles  or  flasks 
are  to  be  cut,  the  diamond  is  still  the  best  tool  in  skilful 
hands  ;  but  ordinary  operators  will  succeed  best  with  pas- 
tilles, or  a  red  hot  poker  with  a  pointed  end.  We  prefer  the 
latter,  as  being  the  most  easily  obtained  and  the  most  effi- 
cient; and  we  have  never  found  any  difficulty  in  cutting  off 
broken  flasks  so  as  to  make  dishes,  or  to  carry  a  cut  spirally 
round  a  long  bottle  so  as  to  cut  it  into  the  form  of  a  cork- 
screw. And,  by  the  way,  when  so  cut,  glass  exhibits  consid- 
erable elasticity,  and  tbe  spiral  may  be  elongated  like  a 
ringlet.  The  process  is  very  simple.  The  line  of  the  cut 
should  be  marked  by  chalk  or  by  pasting  a  thin  strip  of 
paper  alongside  of  it ;  then  make  a  file  mark  to  commence 
the  cut ;  apply  the  hot  iron  and  a  crack  will  start ;  and  this 
crack  will  follow  the  iron  wherever  we  choose  to  lead  it. 
In  this  way  jars  are  easily  made  out  of  old  bottles,  and 
broken  vessels  of  different  kinds  may  be  cut  up  into  new 
forms.  Flat  glass  may  also  be  cut  into  the  most  intricate 
and  elegant  forms.  The  red  hot  iron  is  fai  superior  to  strings 
wet  with  turpentine,  friction,  etc. 

Drilling  Glass. — For  drilling  holes  in  glass,  a  common 


22  amateur's 

steel  drill,  well  made  and  well  tempered,  is  the  best  tool. 
The  steel  should  be  forged  at  a  low  temperature,  so  as  to  be 
sure  not  to  burn  it,  and  then  tempered  as  hard  as  possible  in 
a  bath  of  salt  water  that  has  been  well  boiled.  Such  a  drill 
will  go  through  glass  very  rapidly  if  kept  well  moistened 
with  turpentine  in  which  some  camphor  has  been  dissolved. 
Dilute  sulphuric  acid  is  equally  good,  if  not  better.  It  is 
stated,  that  at  Berlin,  glass  castings  for  pump-barrels,  etc., 
are  drilled,  planed  and  bored,  like  iron  ones,  and  in  the  same 
lathes  and  machines,  by  the  aid  of  sulphuric  acid.  A  little 
practice  with  these  different  plans  will  enable  the  operator 
to  cut  and  work  glass  as  easily  as  brass  or  iron. 

Turning  Glass  in  the  Lathe. — Black  diamonds  are  now  so 
easily  procured  that  they  are  the  best  tools  for  turning, 
planing  or  boring  glass  where  much  work  is  to  be  done. 
With  a  gooa  diamond  a  skilful  worker  can  turn  a  lens  out 
of  a  piece  of  flat  glass  in  a  few  seconds,  so  that  it  will  be 
very  near  the  right  shape. 

Glass  Stoppers. — To  remove  glass  stoppers  when  tightly 
fixed,  it  has  been  recommended  to  apply  a  cloth  wet  in  hot 
water.  This  is  an  inconvenient  and  frequently  unsuccessful 
method.  The  great  object  is  to  expand  the  neck  of  the  bot- 
tle so  as  to  loosen  it  on  the  stopper.  If,  however,  the  latter 
be  heated  and  expanded  equally  with  the  former  the  desired 
effect  is  not  produced ;  and  this  is  often  the  case  in  applying 
hot  water.  By  holding  the  neck  of  the  bottle  about  half  an 
inch  above  the  flame  of  a  lamp  or  candle,  for  a  few  seconds, 
we  have  never  failed  in  the  most  obstinate  cases.  The 
hands  should  be  wrapped  in  a  towel  and  great  care  should 
be  taken  not  to  let  the  flame  touch  the  glass,  as  this  might 
cause  it  to  crack.  The  bottle  should  be  kept  rapidly  turn- 
ing, during  the  operation,  so  as  to  bring  all  parts  of  the  neck 
equally  under  the  influence  f  the  heat,  when  it  will  be 
rapidly  expanded  and  the  stopper  may  be  withdrawn  by  a 


Handbook.  23 

steady  pull  and  twist.  Sometimes  it  is  necessary  to  tap  the 
stopper  lightly  with  a  piece  of  wood  ;  the  jar  is  very  apt  to 
loosen  the  stopper.  To  twist  the  stopper,  make,  in  a  piece 
of  wood,  an  oblong  hole  into  which  the  stopper  will  just  fit. 

Hardening  and  Annealing  Copper,  Brass,  etc. 

Copper,  brass,  German  silver  and  similar  metals  are 
hardened  by  hammering,  rolling  or  wire- drawing  and  are 
softened  by  being  heated  red  hot  and  plunged  in  water. 
Copper,  by  being  alloyed  with  tin,  may  be  made  so  hard 
that  cutting  instruments  may  be  made  of  it.  This  is  the  old 
process  of  hardening  copper,  which  is  so  often  claimed  to  be 
one  of  the  lost  arts. 

Inks. 

Black  Ink. — 1.  In  1  gallon  of  water  boil  lib.  bruised  Aleppo 
galls  for  two  hours  and  strain  when  cold.  Dissolve  5^oz. 
sulphate  of  iron  and  5oz.  gum  arabic  in  as  little  water  as  is 
necessary  and  mix  the  two  liquids  with  constant  stirring. 
Keep  in  a  tall  bottle,  allow  it  to  settle  for  some  days  and  it 
will  be  ready  for  use. 

2.  It  is  said  that  the  juice  of  elderberries  to  which  sul- 
phate of  iron  has  been  added,  makes  a  good  ink.  The  best 
formula  is  said  to  be  12£  pints  juice  and  ioz.  each  sulphate 
of  iron  and  crude  pyroligneous  acid. 

Range's  Black  Ink. — Digest  ^lb.  logwood  in  chips  for  12 
hours  in  3  pints  boiling  water.  Simmer  down  gently  to  1 
quart,  filter  and  add  20  grains  yellow  chromate  of  potassa. 

Blue  Ink. — Take  6  drachms  pure  Prussian  blue  and  1 
drachm  oxalic  acid.  Grind  in  a  mortar  with  a  little  water 
until  they  form  a  perfectly  smooth  paste.  Dissolve  a  suffi- 
cient quantity  of  this  paste  in  water  to  give  the  proper  tint. 

Carmine  Ink. — Dissolve  12  grains  pure  carmine  in  3  oz. 
water  of  ammonia  and  add  18  grains  powdered  gum  arable 


24  amateur's 

Red  Ink. — Boil  ^lb.  of  Brazil  wood,  £oz.  of  gum,  \o±. 
of  sugar  and  |oz.  of  alum  in  a  sufficient  quantity  of  vinegar. 

Marking  Ink  for  Linen. — Dissolve  |oz.  nitrate  of  silver 
in  loz.  water  and  add  strong  liquid  ammonia  until  the  pre- 
cipitate which  is  at  first  formed  is  redissolved.  Add  \\ 
drachm  gum  mucilage  and  enough  coloring  matter  to  render 
the  writing  clearly  visible.  The  writing  is  made  black  by 
passing  a  hot  iron  over  it.     Keep  in  the  dark. 

Gold  Ink. — Grind  gold  leaf  with  honey  in  a  mortar  until 
it  is  reduced  to  a  fine  powder.  Wash  out  the  honey  with 
hot  water  and  add  mucilage  of  gum  arabic.  A  cheap  article 
may  be  made  by  using  yellow  bronze  powder. 

Silver  Ink. — Prepared  in  the  same  way  as  gold  ink,  using 
silver  leaf  or  silver  bronze  powder. 

Sympathetic  Ink  or  Secret  Ink. — 1.  Write  with  thin  solu- 
tion of  starch  and  let  the  correspondent  wash  with  solution 
of  iodine. 

2.  Write  with  milk,  onion  juice  or  lemon  juice,  and  let 
the  correspondent  expose  to  heat. 

3.  Write  with  solution  of  tartar  emetic  and  wash  with 
any  alkaline  sulphuret.  Letters  may  be  written  on  postal 
cards  with  these  inks,  and  will  remain  invisible  until 
washed  with  the  appropriate  solution  or  exposed  to  heat. 
To  prevent  the  letters  from  being  seen  by  close  scrutiny  the 
solutions  should  be  very  dilute,  and  to  distract  the  attention 
of  those  not  in  the  secret,  write  some  unimportant  matter, 
in  lines  far  apart,  and  between  them  write  the  private  matter 
in  secret  or  sympathetic  ink. 

Lacquer. 

Lacquer  is  so  called  because  it  usually  contains  gum  lac, 
either  shellac  or  seed  lac.  Seed  lac  is  the  original  form  of 
the  gum  or  resin  ;  after  being  purified  it  is  moulded  into 
thin  sheets,  like  shell,  and  hence  is  called  shellac.     Shellac 


HANDBOOK.  25 

is  frequently  bleached  so  as  to  become  quite  white,  in  which 
state  it  forms  a  colorless  solution.  Bleached  shellac  is  never 
a3  strong  as  the  gum  in  its  natural  condition,  and  unless  it  be 
fresh  it  neither  dissolves  well  in  alcohol  nor  does  it  preserve 
any  metal  to  which  it  may  be  applied. 

There  are  many  recipes  for  good  lacquer,  but  the  success 
of  the  operator  depends  quite  as  much  upon  skill  as  upon 
the  particular  recipe  employed.  The  metal  must  be  cleaned 
perfectly  from  grease  and  dirt,  and  in  lacquering  new  work 
it  is  always  best  to  lacquer  as  soon  after  polishing  as  possi- 
ble. Old  lacquer  may  be  removed  with  a  strong  lye  of 
potash  or  soda,  after  which  the  work  should  be  well  washed 
in  water,  dried  in  fine  beech  or  box-wood  sawdust  and  pol- 
ished with  whiting,  applied  with  a  soft  brush.  The  condi- 
tion of  the  work,  as  to  cleanliness  and  polish,  is  perhaps  the 
■most  important  point  in  lacquering. 

The  metal  should  be  heated  and  the  lacquer  applied 
•evenly  with  a  soft  camel  hair  brush.  A  temperature  of 
about  that  of  boiling  water  will  be  found  right. 

Lacquer  is  colored  either  red  with  dragon's  blood  or  yel- 
low with  turmeric  or  gamboge.  The  following  are  a  few 
favorite  recipes. 

Deep  Gold  Lacquer. — Alcohol,  £  pint ;  dragon's  blood,  1 
■drachm;  seed  lac,  l|oz.;  turmeric,  ^oz.  Shake  up  well  for  a 
week,  at  intervals  of,  say,  a  couple  of  hours;  then  allow  to 
settle,  and  decant  the  clear  lacquer ;  and  if  at  all  dirty  filter 
through  a  tuft  of  cotton  wool.  This  lacquer  may  be  diluted 
with  a  simple  solution  of  shellac  in  alcohol  and  will  then 
give  a  paler  tint. 

Bright   Gold  Lacquer. — 1.  Turmeric,   loz.;  saffron  £oz.. 
Spanish  anatto,  ^oz.;  alcohol,  1  pint.      Digest   at  a   gentle 
heat  for  several  days ;  strain  through  coarse  linen ;  put  the 
tincture  in  a  bottle  and  add  3oz.  good  seed  lac  coarsely  pow 
dered.     Let  it  stand  for  several  days,  shaking  occasionally 
Allow  to  settle  and  use  the  clear  liquid. 


20  amateur's 

2.  Take  loz.  anatto  and  8oz.  alcohol.  Mis  in  a  bottle 
by  themselves.  Also  mix  separately  loz.  gamboge  and  8oz. 
alcohol.  With  these  mixtures  color  seed  lac  varnish  to  suit 
yourself.  If  it  be  too  red  add  gamboge  ;  if  too  yellow  add 
anatto  ;  if  the  color  be  too  deep,  add  spirit.  In  this  manner 
you  may  color  brass  of  any  desired  tint. 

Pale  Gold  Lacquer. — Best  pale  shellac  (picked  pieces), 
8oz.;  sandarac,  2oz.;  turmeric,  8oz.;  anatto,  2oz.;  dragon's 
blood,  -Joz.;  alcohol,  1  gallon.  Mix,  shake  frequently  till 
the  gums  are  dissolved  and  the  color  extracted  from  the  col- 
oring  matters  and  then  allow  to  settle. 

Lacquer  used  by  A.  Ross. — 4oz.  shellac  and  ^oz.  gamboge 
are  dissolved  by  agitation,  without  heat,  in  24oz.  pure  pyro- 
acetic  ether.  The  solution  is  allowed  to  stand  until  the- 
gummy  matters,  not  taken  up  by  the  spirit,  subside.  The 
clear  liquor  is  then  decanted,  and  when  required  for  use  is 
mixed  with  8  times  its  quantity  of  alcohol.  In  this  case  the 
pyro-acetic  ether  is  employed  for  dissolving  the  shellac  in 
order  to  prevent  any  but  the  purely  resinous  portions  being 
taken  up,  which  is  almost  certain  to  occur  with  ordinary 
alcohol ;  but  if  the  lacquer  were  made  entirely  with  pyro- 
acetic  ether,  the  latter  would  evaporate  too  rapidly  to  allow 
time  for  the  lacquer  to  be  equally  applied. 

Lubricators. 

Pine  Lubricating  Oil. — 1.  Put  fine  olive  oil  in  a  bottle  with 
scrapings  of  lead  and  expose  it  to  the  sun  for  a  few  weeks. 
Pour  off  the  clear  oil  for  use. 

2.  Freeze  fine  olive  oil,  strain  out  the  liquid  portion  and 
preserve  for  use. 

Booth's  Axle  Grease. — Dissolve  \Vo.  washing  soda  in  1 
gallon  water  and  add  31bs.  tallow  and  61bs.  palm  oil.  Heat  to< 
210  deg.  Fahr.,  and  keep  constantly  stirring  until  cooled  to 
GO  or  70  deg. 


HANDBOOK.  27' 

Anti- Attrition. — Mix  41bs.  tallow  or  soap  with  lib.  finely 
ground  plumbago.  The  best  lubricator  for  wood  working 
on  wood.  Excellent  for  wooden  screws  where  great  power 
is  required. 

Polishing  Metals. 

Metals  are  polished  either  by  burnishing  or  buffing.  The 
process  of  burnishing  consists  in  rubbing  down  all  the 
minute  roughnesses  by  means  of  a  highly  polished  steel  or 
agate  tool — none  of  the  metal  being  removed.  Buffing  is 
performed  by  rubbing  the  metal  with  soft  leather,  which 
has  been  charged  with  very  fine  polishing  powder.  The 
rubbing  is  sometimes  done  by  hand  but  more  frequently  the 
buff  is  made  into  a  wheel  which  revolves  rapidly  in  a  lathe 
and  the  work  is  held  against  it.  The  best  polishing  powder 
is  crocus  or  rouge,  which  may  be  purchased  of  any  dealer  in 
tools  or  may  be  made  by  exposing  very  clean  and  pure  crys- 
tals of  sulphate  of  iron  to  heat.  Those  portions  which  are 
least  calcined,  and  are  of  a  scarlet  color,  are  suitable  for  soft 
metals  like  gold  or  silver  ;  those  which  have  become  red, 
purple  or  bluish  purple  are  fit  for  brass  or  steel.  The  hard- 
est part  will  be  found  at  the  bottom  of  the  crucible. 

Polishing  Wood. 

Turned  articles  must  be  brought  to  a  fine  smooth  surface 
with  the  finest  sand-paper  and  the  direction  of  the  motion 
should  be  occasionally  reversed  so  that  the  fibres  which  are 
laid  down  by  rubbing  one  way  may  be  raised  up  and  cut  off. 
To  apply  the  polish,  which  is  merely  a  solution  of  shellac  in 
alcohol,  take  three  or  four  thicknesses  of  linen  rag  and  place 
a  few  drops  of  polish  in  the  centre  ;  lay  over  this  a  single 
thickness  of  linen  rag  and  a  drop  or  two  of  raw  linseed  oil 
over  the  polish.  The  rubber  is  then  applied  with  light  fric- 
tion over  the  entire  surface  of  the  work  while  revolving  in 


28  amateur's 

the  lathe,  never  allowing  the  hand  or  mandrel  to  remain 
still  for  an  instant,  so  as  to  spread  tlyj  varnish  as  evenly  as 
possible,  especially  at  the  commencement,  and  paying  par- 
ticular attention  to  the  internal  angles,  so  as  to  prevent 
either  deficiency  or  excess  of  varnish  at  those  parts.  The 
oil,  in  some  degree,  retards  the  evaporation  of  the  spirit 
from  the  varnish  and  allows  time  for  the  process;  it  also 
presents  a  smooth  surface  and  lessens  the  friction  against 
the  tender  gum.  When  the  varnish  appears  dry,  a  second, 
third  and  even  further  quantities  are  applied  in  the  same 
manner,  working,  of  course,  more  particularly  upon  those 
parts  at  all  slighted  in  the  earlier  steps. 

Flat  surfaces  are  polished  in  a  similar  manner.  The 
wood  must  first  be  filled,  as  it  is  called,  and  for  this  nothing 
is  better  than  whiting  colored  so  as  to  resemble  the  wood 
and  kept  dry.  Rub  the  wood  with  linseed  oil  and  then 
sprinkle  it  with  whiting.  Rub  the  latter  well  in,  wipe  it  off 
carefully  and  give  time  to  dry.     This  is  far  superior  to  size. 

The  polisher,  however,  generally  consists  of  a  wad  of  list 
rolled  spirally,  tied  with  twine  and  covered  with  a  few  thick- 
nesses of  linen  rag.  Apply  a  little  varnish  to  the  middle  of 
the  rubber  and  then  enclose  the  latter  in  a  soft  linen  rag 
folded  twice.  Moisten  the  face  of  the  linen  with  a  little  raw 
linseed  oil  applied  to  the  middle  of  it  by  means  of  the  finger. 
Pass  the  rubber  quickly  and  lightly  over  the  surface  of  the 
work  in  small  circular  strokes  until  the  varnish  becomes 
nearly  dry ;  charge  the  rubber  with  varnish  again  and 
repeat  the  rubbing  till  three  coats  are  laid  on,  when  a  little 
oil  may  be  applied  to  the  rubber  and  two  more  coats  given 
it.  Proceed  in  this  way  until  the  varnish  has  acquired  some 
thickness ;  then  wet  the  inside  of  the  linen  cloth,  before  ap- 
plying the  varnish,  with  alcohol  and  rub  quickly,  lightly 
and  uniformly  the  whole  surface.  Lastly  wet  the  linen 
cloth  with  a  little  oil  and  alcohol,  without  varnish,  and  rub 
as  before  till  dry.     Each  coat  is  to  be  rubbed  until  the  rag 


HANDBOOK.  29 

appears  dry,  and  too  much  varnish  must  not  be  put  on  the 
rag  at  one  time.  Be  also  very  particular  to  have  the  rags 
clean,  as  the  polish  depends  in  a  great  degree  upon  keeping 
everything  free  from  dust  and  dirt. 

Silvering. 

Leather,  cloth,  wood  and  similar  materials  are  silvered 
by  processes  similar  to  those  used  for  gilding,  (page  20), 
silver  leaf  being  substituted  for  gold  leaf.  Metals  may  be 
silvered  either  by  brazing  a  thin  sheet  of  silver  to  the  sur- 
face or  by  electro-plating.  Frequently,  however,  it  is  desired 
to  lightly  silver  a  metal  surface,  such  as  brass  or  copper,  so 
as  to  make  any  figures  engraved  thereon  appear  more  dis- 
tinct. Clock  faces,  dials  and  the  scales  of  thermometers  and 
barometers  are  cases  in  point,  and  if  the  surface  be  well 
lacquered  with  white  lacquer  after  being  silvered,  such  a 
coating  is  very  durable.  Silvering  fluids  or  powders  con- 
taining mercury  should  never  be  used  unless  the  articles  are 
to  be  afterwards  exposed  to  a  red  heat  so  as  to  drive  off  the 
mercury.  A  silvering  fluid  which  is  very  commonly  sold  to 
housekeepers  under  the  name  of  Novargent  or  Plate  Reno- 
vator, consists  merely  of  nitrate  of  mercury  or  quicksilver. 
When  rubbed  on  a  copper  cent  or  a  brass  stair-rod  it  gives 
it  at  once  a  bright  silvery  surface,  but  the  brightness  soon 
fades  and  the  article,  if  brass,  becomes  black  and  dirty, 
while  if  it  should  be  a  piece  of  plated  ware  it  will  be  ruined. 
Stair-rods  and  similar  articles,  if  well  silvered  with  powder 
No.  1  and  then  lacquered  with  good  lacquer,  will  present  a 
white  silvery  appearance  for  a  long  time.  Plated  goods 
should  be  recoated  by  the  electro-plating  process. 

Silvering  Powder. — 1.  Nitrate  of  silver,  30  grains ;  com- 
mon salt,  30  grains  ;  cream  tartar,  200  grains.  Mix.  Moisten 
with  water  and  rub  on  the  article  with  wash  leather.  Gives 
a  white  silvery  appearance  to  brass,  copper,  etc. 


30  amateur's 

2.  Novargent. — Add  common  salt  to  a  solution  of  nitrate 
of  silver  until  the  silver  lias  all  been  precipitated.  Wash 
the  white  precipitate  or  chloride  of  silver  and  add  a  strong 
solution  of  hyposulphite  of  soda  until  the  white  chloride  is 
dissolved.  Mix  the  resulting  clear  liquid  with  pipe-clay 
which  has  been  finely  powdered  and  thoroughly  washed. 

3.  Silvering  Amalgam. — A  coating  of  silver,  heavier  than 
can  be  obtained  by  the  above,  may  be  given  by  the  follow- 
ing process:  Precipitate  silver  from  its  solution  in  nitric 
acid  by  means  of  copper.  Take  of  this  powder  -|oz. ;  common 
salt,  2oz.;  sal  ammoniac,  2oz.;  and  corrosive  sublimate,  1 
drachm.  Make  into  a  paste  with  water.  Having  carefully 
cleaned  the  copper  surface  that  is  to  be  plated,  boil  it  in  a 
solution  of  tartar  aud  alum,  rub  it  with  the  above  paste, 
heat  red  hot  and  then  polish. 

Skins— Tanning  and  Curing. 

Curing  Fur  Skins. — The  following  are  the  directions 
given  in  the  Trapper's  Guide,  by  Newhouse,  an  experienced 
trapper  and  hunter.  1.  As  soon  as  possible  after  the  animal 
is  dead,  attend  to  the  skinning  and  curing.  The  slightest 
taint  of  putrefaction  loosens  the  fur  and  destroys  the  value 
of  the  skin.  2.  Scrape  off  all  superfluous  flesh  and  fat,  but 
be  careful  not  to  go  so  deep  as  to  cut  the  fibre  of  the  skin. 
3.  Never  dry  a  skin  by  the  fire  or  in  the  sun,  but  in  a  cool, 
shady  place,  sheltered  from  rain.  If  you  use  a  barn  door 
for  a  stretcher,  nail  the  skin  on  the  inside  of  the  door.  4. 
Never  use  "preparations"  of  any  kind  in  curing  skins,  nor 
even  wash  them  in  water,  but  simply  stretch  and  dry  them 
as  they  are  taken  from  the  animal.  In  drying  skins  it  is 
important  that  they  should  be  stretched  tight  like  a  drum- 
head. 

To  prepare  Sheep  Skins  for  Mats. — Make  a  strong  i^cher 
with  hot  water  and  let  it  stand  till  cold ;  wash  the  fresh  skin 


HANDBOOK.  31 

in  it,  carefully  squeezing  out  all  the  dirt  from  the  wool ;  wash 
it  in  cold  water  till  all  the  soap  is  taken  out.  Dissolve  a  pound 
each  of  salt  and  alum  in  2  gallons  of  hot  water,  and  put 
the  skin  into  a  tub  sufficient  to  cover  it ;  let  it  soak  for  12 
hours  and  hang  it  over  a  pole  to  drain.  When  well  drained, 
stretch  it  carefully  on  a  board  to  dry  and  stretch  several 
times  while  drying.  Before  it  is  quite  dry  sprinkle  on  the 
flesh  side  loz.  each  of  finely  pulverized  alum  and  saltpetre, 
rubbing  them  in  well.  Try  if  the  wool  be  firm  on  the  skin  ; 
if  not,  let  it  remain  a  day  or  two,  then  rub  again  with  alum  ; 
fold  the  flesh  sides  together  and  hang  in  the  shade  for  2 
or  3  days,  turning  them  over  each  day  till  quite  dry.  Scrape 
the  flesh  side  with  a  blunt  knife  and  rub  it  with  pumice 
or  rotten  stone.  Very  beautiful  mittens  can  be  made  of 
lambs'  skins  prepared  in  this  way. 

Skins  of  Rabbits,  Cats  and  small  Animals. — Lay  the  skin 
on  a  smooth  board,  the  fur  side  undermost,  and  fasten  it 
down  with  tinned  tacks.  Wasb  it  over  first  with  a  solution 
of  salt ;  then  dissolve  2^oz.  of  alum  in  1  pint  of  warm  water, 
and  witb  a  sponge  dipped  in  this  solution,  moisten  the  sur- 
face all  over ;  repeat  this  every  now  and  then  for  3  days. 
When  the  skin  is  quite  dry  take  out  the  tacks,  and  rolling 
it  loosely  the  long  way,  the  hair  side  in,  draw  it  quickly 
backwards  and  forwards  through  a  large  smooth  ring  until 
it  is  quite  soft,  and  then  roll  it  in  the  contrary  way  of  the 
skin  and  repeat  the  operation.  Skins  prepared  in  this  way 
are  useful  in  many  experiments  and  they  make  good  gloves 
and  chest  protectors. 

Staining  Wood. 

This  process  may  be  used  either  for  improving  the  natural 
color  of  wood  or  for  changing  it  so  completely  as  to  give  it 
the  appearance  of  an  entirely  different  kind  of  timber.  Thus 
a  light  mahogany  may  be  greatly  improved  by  being  made 


32  amateur's 

darker,  and  there  are  many  other  kinds  of  timber  that  are 
greatly  improved  by  a  slight  change  in  their  color.  The  fol- 
lowing notes  will  be  of  use  in  the  latter  direction: 

A  solution  of  aspbaltum  in  spirits  of  turpentine,  makes 
a  good  brown  stain  for  coarse  oaken  work,  whicb  is  only  in- 
tended to  be  varnished  with  boiled  oil. 

When  discolored  ebony  has  been  sponged  once  or  twice 
with  a  strong  decoction  of  gall-nuts,  to  which  a  quantity  of 
iron  filings  or  rust  has  been  added,  its  natural  blackness 
becomes  more  intense. 

The  naturally  pale  ground  and  obscure  grain  of  Honduras 
mahogany  is  often  well  brought  out  by  its  being  coated  first 
with  spirits  of  hartshorn  and  then  with  oil  which  has  been 
tinged  with  madder  or  Venetian  red. 

Grayish  maple  may  be  whitened  by  carefully  coating  it 
with  a  solution  of  oxalic  acid  to  which  a  few  drops  of  nitric 
acid  have  been  added. 

Half  a  gallon  of  water  in  which  £lb.  of  oak  bark  and  the 
same  quantity  of  walnut  shells  or  peels  have  been  thorough- 
ly boiled,  makes  an  excellent  improver  of  inferior  rose- wood  ; 
it  is  also  far  before  any  other  of  its  kind  for  bringing  out 
walnut. 

Raw  oil  mixed  with  a  little  spirits  of  turpentine,  is 
universally  allowed  to  be  the  most  efficacious  improver  of 
the  greater  number  of  materials.  Beautiful  artificial  grain- 
ing may  be  imparted  to  various  specimens  of  timber  by 
means  of  a  camel-hair  pencil,  with  raw  oil  alone,  that  is, 
certain  portions  may  be  coated  two  or  three  times  very  taste- 
fully, so  as  to  resemble  the  rich  varying  veins  which  con- 
stitute the  fibril  figures  ;  while  the  common  plain  parts, 
which  constitute  the  ground  shades,  may  only  be  once 
coated  with  the  oil,  very  much  diluted  with  spirits  of  tur- 
pentine.    The  following  are  a  few  useful  stains : 

Mahogany. — 1.  Water,  1  gallon  ;  madder,  Soz.;  fustic, 
4oz.     Boil.     Lay  on  with  a  brush  while  hot,  and  while  wet 


HANDBOOK.  33 

Btreak  it  with  black  to  vary  the  grain.     This  imitates  Hon- 
duras mahogany. 

2.  Madder,  8oz.;  fustic,  loz.;  logwood,  2oz.;  water,  1  gal- 
lon. Boil  and  lay  on  while  hot.  Resembles  Spanish  ma- 
hogany. 

3.  A  set  of  pine  shelves,  which  were  brushed  two  or 
three  times  with  a  strong  boiling  decoction  of  logwood  chips 
and  varnished  with  solution  of  shellac  in  alcohol,  appear 
almost  like  mahogany  both  in  color  and  hardness.  After 
washing  with  decoction  of  logwood  and  drying  thoroughly, 
they  received  two  coats  of  varnish.  They  were  tben  care- 
fully sand-papered  and  polished  and  received  a  final  coat  of 
shellac  varnish. 

Imitation  Ebony. — Wash  any  compact  wood  with  a  boil- 
ing decoction  of  logwood  3  or  4  times,  allowing  it  to  dry 
between  each  application.  Then  wash  it  with  a  solution  of 
acetate  of  iron,  which  is  made  by  dissolving  iron  filings  in 
vinegar.  This  stain  is  very  black  and  penetrates  to  a  con- 
siderable depth  into  the  wood,  so  that  ordinary  scratching 
or  chipping  does  not  show  the  original  color.  Some  recipes 
direct  the  solutions  of  logwood  and  iron  to  be  mixed  before 
being  applied,  but  this  is  a  great  mistake. 

Black  Walnut  Stain. — 1.  Take  asphaltum,  pulverize  it, 
place  it  in  a  jar  or  bottle,  pou  r  it  about  twice  its  bulk 
of  turpentine,  put  it  in  a  warn*  ,  — ce  and  shake  it  from  time 
to  time.  When  dissolved,  strain  it  and  apply  it  to  the  wood 
with  a  cloth  or  stiff  brush.  If  it  should  make  too  dark  a 
stain  thin  it  with  turpentine.  This  will  dry  in  a  few  hours. 
If  it  is  desired  to  bring  out  the  grain  still  more  apply  a 
mixture  of  boiled  oil  and  turpentine;  this  is  better  than  oil 
alone.  Put  no  oil  with  the  asphaltum  mixture  or  it  will 
dry  very  slowly.  When  the  oil  is  dry  the  wood  can  be  pol- 
ished with  the  following:  Shellac  varnish,  of  the  usual  con- 


34  amateur's 

sistency,  2  parts ;  boiled  oil,  1  part.  Shake  it  well  before 
using.  Apply  it  to  the  wood  by  putting  a  few  drops  on  a 
cloth  and  rubbing  briskly  on  the  wood  for  a  few  moments. 
This  polish  works  well  on  old  varnished  furniture. 

2.  The  appearance  of  walnut  may  be  given  to  white 
woods  by  painting  or  sponging  them  with  a  concentrated 
warm  solution  of  permanganate  of  potassa.  The  effect  is 
different  on  different  kinds  of  timber,  some  becoming  stained 
very  rapidly,  others  requiring  more  time  for  the  result. 
The  permanganate  is  decomposed  by  the  woody  fibre  ;  brown 
peroxide  of  manganese  is  precipitated,  and  the  potash  is  af- 
terwards removed  by  washing  with  water.  The  wood,  when 
dry,  may  be  varnisbed. 

Brown  Stain. — Paint  over  the  wood  with  a  solution  made 
by  boiling  1  part  of  catechu  (cutch  or  gambier)  with  30  parts 
of  water  and  a  little  soda.  This  must  be  allowed  to  dry  in 
the  air,  and  then  the  wood  is  to  be  painted  over  with  another 
solution  made  of  1  part  of  bichromate  of  potash  and  30  parts 
of  water.  By  a  little  difference  in  the  mode  of  treatment 
and  by  varying  the  strength  of  the  solutions,  various  shades 
of  color  may  be  given  with  these  materials,  which  will  be 
permanent  and  tend  to  preserve  the  wood. 

Steel— Working  and  Tempering. 

Most  amateurs  will  find  themselves,  at  times,  compelled 
to  forge  and  temper  their  own  tools,  such  as  drills,  cold 
chisels,  etc.     The  following  hints  will  be  of  service. 

Forging  Steel. — Beware  of  over-heating  the  piece  to  be 
forged  and  also  be  careful  that  the  fire  is  free  from  sulphur. 
Small  drills  are  easily  heated  in  the  flame  of  a  lamp  or 
candle  ;  a  Bunsen  burner  will  heat  sufficiently  quite  a  good 
sized  tool.  Charcoal  makes  the  best  fire  for  large  tools.  If 
you  are  compelled  to  use  common  coal  let  the  fire  burn  until 


HANDBOOK.  35 

most  of  the  sulphur  has  been  driven  off.  Do  not  hammer 
with  heavy  blows  after  the  steel  has  cooled.  By  tapping  it 
lightly,  however,  until  it  becomes  black,  the  closeness  of 
the  grain  is  increased. 

To  Restore  burnt  Cast  Steel. — Heat  it  to  a  bright  cherry 
red  and  quench  it  in  water.  Do  this  a  few  times  and  then 
forge  it  carefully  and  it  will  be  as  good  as  ever.  The  various 
recipes  for  mixtures  for  restoring  burnt  steel  are  worthless. 

Hardening  and  Tempering  Steel. — Heat  the  steel  to  a 
bright  cherry  red  and  plunge  it  in  water  that  has  been  thor- 
oughly boiled  and  then  allowed  to  cool.  It  will  then  be  "  as 
hard  as  fire  and  water  will  make  it,"  and  too  hard  for  any- 
thing except  hardened  bearings  or  tools  for  cutting  and 
drilling  glass  and  very  hard  metals.  To  make  it  stand  work 
without  breaking  it  must  be  tempered.  To  do  this,  polish 
the  surface  on  a  grindstone  or  with  emery  paper,  so  that 
any  change  in  the  color  of  the  metal  may  be  easily  seen. 
Then  heat  the  tool  until  the  cutting  edge  shows  the  proper 
color,  as  given  below.  Large  drills  and  cold  chisels  are 
hardened  and  tempered  at  one  operation,  the  cutting  edge 
being  cooled  and  hardened  while  the  upper  part  is  left  hot. 
When  taken  from  the  water  the  heat  from  the  shank  passes 
towards  the  cutting  edge  and  brings  it  to  the  right  degree 
of  softness.  Small  drills  have  to  be  tempered  in  the  flame 
of  a  lamp.  A  spirit  lamp  is  be3t,  and  the  neatest  plan  is 
to  heat  the  drill  a  short  distance  from  the  point  and  allow 
the  heat  to  flow  towards  the  cutting  edge.  As  soon  as  the 
right  color  is  seen  on  the  edge,  the  entire  tool  is  plunged  in 
water  and  cooled.  In  this  way  the  shank  is  kept  soft  and 
the  tool  is  not  so  apt  to  snap  off. 

The  following  are  the  degrees  of  heat  (Fahrenheit)  and 
corresponding  colors  to  which  tools  for  different  purposes 
should  be  brought : 


36  amateur's 

TEMPERATURE.     COLOR.  TEMPER. 

430°  Very  faint  yellow.  )  Very  hard  ;  suitable  for  ham- 
450"  Pale  straw  color.  j  mer  faces,  drills  for  stone,  etc. 
470°       Full  yellow.  )  Hard   and   inelastic ;   suitable 

>  for    shears,   scissors,   turning 
490°       Brown.  )  tools  for  hard  metal,  etc. 

510°       Brown  with   purple  )  Suitable  for  tools  for  cutting 
spots.  >  wood  and  soft  metals,  such  as 

538°       Purple.  )  plane  irons,  knives,  etc. 

550°       Dark  blue.  "]  For  tools  requiring  strong  cut- 

560°       Full  blue.  I  ting    edges   without   extreme 

'  hardness  ;  as  cold  chisels,  axes, 
cutlery,  etc. 

G00°       Grayish  blue   verg- )  Spring  temper  ;  saws,  swords, 
ing  on  black.         ) 

Varnishes. 

It  is  in  general  more  economical  to  buy  varnishes  than  to 
make  them  on  the  small  scale.  Occasionally,  however,  our 
readers  may  find  themselves  in  a  situation  where  a  simple 
recipe  for  a  good  varnish  will  prove  valuable.  We  append 
a  few  recipes  which  are  easily  followed. 

White  Sjririt  Varnish. — Rectified  spirit,  1  gallon ;  gum 
sandarach,  2^1bs.  Put  these  ingredients  into  a  tin  bottle, 
warm  gently  and  shake  till  dissolved.  Then  add  a  pint  of 
pale  turpentine  varnish. 

Shellac  Varnish. — Dissolve  good  shellac  or  seed  lac  in 
alcohol,  making  the  varnish  of  any  consistence  desired. 
Note. — Shellac  gives  a  pale  cinnamon  colored  varnish. 
Varnish  made  with  seed  lac  is  deeper  colored  and  redder. 
If  colorless  varnish  is  desired  use  bleached  shellac,  an  article 
which  is  to  be  had  at  most  drug  stores. 

Turpentine  Varnish. — Clear  pale  resin,  51bs.;  turpen- 
tine, 71bs.     Dissolve  in  any  convenient  vessel. 

Varnish  for  Violins  and  similar  articles. — Sandarach, 
6oz.;    mastic,   3oz.;   turpentine  varnish,  £  pint ;   alcohol,   1 


/ 


HANDBOOK.  37 

gallon.  Keep  in  a  tight  tin  can  in  a  warm  place  until  the 
gums  are  dissolved. 

Wliite,  Hard  Varnish  for  Wood  or  Metal. — Mastic,  2oz.: 
sandarach,  8oz.;  elemi,  loz.;  Strasbourgh  or  Scio  turpentine, 
4oz.;  alcohol,  1  quart. 

White  Varnish  for  Paper,  Wood  or  Linen. — Sandarach, 
8oz.;  mastic,  2oz.;  Canada  balsam,  4oz.;  alcohol,  1  quart. 

Mastic. — Mastic,  Goz.;  turpentine,  1  quart.  Tough,  hard, 
brilliant  and  colorless.     Excellent  for  common  woodwork. 

Map  Varnish. — Clear  Canada  balsam,  4oz  ;  turpentine, 
8oz.  Warm  gently  and  shake  until  dissolved.  Maps,  draw- 
ings, etc.,  which  are  to  be  varnished  with  this  solution, 
should  be  first  brushed  over  with  a  solution  of  isinglass  and 
allowed  to  dry  thoroughly. 

Varnish  for  Bright  Iron-work. — Dissolve  31bs.  of  resin 
in  10  pints  boiled  linseed  oil  and  add  21bs.  of  turpentine. 

Black  Varnish  for  Iron-work. — Fuse  40oz.  of  asphaltum 
and  add  \  a  gallon  of  boiled  linseed  oil,  6oz.  red  lead,  6oz. 
litharge,  and  4oz.  sulphate  of  zinc,  dried  and  powdered. 
Boil  for  2  hours  and  mis  in  8oz.  fused  dark  amber  gum  and 
a  pint  of  hot  linseed  oil  and  boil  again  for  2  hours  more. 
When  the  mass  has  thickened  withdraw  the  heat  and  thin 
down  with  a  gallon  of  turpentine. 

Waterproofing. 

Porous  goods  are  made  waterproof  according  to  two  very 
distinct  systems,  According  to  the  first  the  articles  are  made 
absolutely  impervious  to  water  and  air  by  having  their  pores 
filled  up  with  some  oily  or  gummy  substance,  which  becomes 
stiff  and  impenetrable.  Caoutchouc,  paints,  oils,  melted  wax, 
etc.,  are  of  this  kind.  The  other  system  consists  in  making 
the  fabric  repellent  to  water  while  it  remains  quite  porous 
and  freely  admits  the  passage  of  air.     Goods  so  prepared 


38  amateur's 

will  resist  any  ordinary  rain,  and  we  have  seen  a  very  por- 
ous fabric  stretched  over  the  mouth  of  a  vessel  and  resist 
the  passage  of  water  one  or  two  inches  deep.  The  following 
recipes  have  been  tried  and  found  good.  Most  of  those 
found  in  the  recipe  books  are  worthless. 

To  render  Leather  Water-proof. — 1.  Melt  together  2oz.of 
Burgundy  pitch,  2oz.  of  soft  was,  2oz.  of  turpentine,  and  1 
pint  of  raw  linseed  oil.     Lay  on  with  a  brush  while  warm. 

2.  Melt  3oz.  lard  and  add  loz.  powdered  resin.  This 
mixture  remains  soft  at  ordinary  temperatures,  and  is  an 
excellent  application  for  leather. 

Water-proof  Canvas  for  Covering  Carts,  etc. — 9|  gallons 
linseed  oil,  lib.  litharge,  lib.  umber,  boiled  together  for  24 
hours.  May  be  colored  with  any  paint.  Lay  on  with  a 
brush. 

To  Make  Sailcloth  Impervious  to  Water,  and  yet  Pliant 
and  Durable. — Grind  61bs.  English  ochre  with  boiled  oil,  and 
add  lib.  of  black  paint,  which  mixture  forms  an  indifferent 
black.  An  ounce  of  yellow  soap,  dissolved  by  heat  in  half  a 
pint  of  water,  is  mixed  while  hot  with  the  paint.  Tbis  com 
position  is  laid  upon  dry  canvas  as  stiff  as  can  conveniently 
be  done  with  the  brush.  Two  days  after  a  second  coat  of 
ochre  and  black  paint  (without  any  soap)  is  laid  on,  and, 
allowing  this  coat  time  to  dry,  the  canvas  is  finished  with  a 
coat  of  any  desired  color.  After  three  days  it  does  not  stick 
together  when  folded  up.  This  is  the  formula  used  in  the 
British  navy  yards,  and  it  has  given  excellent  results.  We 
have  seen  a  portable  boat  made  of  canvas  prepared  in  this 
way  and  stretched  on  a  skeleton  frame. 

The  following  recipes  are  intended  to  be  applied  to  woven 
fabrics,  which  they  leave  quite  pervious  to  air  but  capable 
of  resisting  water. 

1.  Apply  a  strong  solution  of  soap  to  the  wrong  side  of 
the  cloth,  and  when  dry  wash  the  other  side  with  a  solution 
of  alum. 


HANDBOOK.  39 

2.  Take  the  material  successively  through  baths  of  sul- 
phate of  alumina,  of  soap  and  of  water ;  then  dry  and 
smother  or  calender.  For  the  alumina  bath,  use  the  ordina- 
ry neutral  sulphate  of  alumina  of  commerce  (concentrated 
alum  cake),  dissolving  1  part  in  10  of  water,  which  is  easily 
done  without  the  application  of  heat.  The  soap  is  best  pre- 
pared in  this  manner :  Boil  1  part  of  light  resin,  1  part  of 
soda  crystals,  and  10  of  water,  till  the  resin  is  dissolved  ; 
salt  the  soap  out  by  the  addition  of  £  part  of  common  salt ; 
dissolve  this  soap  with  an  equal  amount  of  good  palm-oil 
soap  in  30  parts  of  water.  The  soap  bath  should  be  kept  hot 
while  the  goods  are  passing  through  it.  It  is  best  to  have 
three  vats  alongside  of  each  other,  and  by  a  special  arrange- 
ment to  keep  the  goods  down  in  the  baths.  Special  care 
should  be  taken  to  have  the  fabric  thoroughly  soaked  in 
the  alumina  bath. 

3.  Drs.  Hager  and  Jacobsen  remark  that  during  the  last 
few  years  very  good  and  cheap  waterproof  goods  of  this 
description  have  been  manufactured  in  Berlin,  which  they 
believe  is  effected  by  steeping  them  first  in  a  bath  of  sul- 
phate of  alumina  and  of  copper,  and  then  into  one  of  water- 
.glass  and  resin  soap. 


40  amateue's 

Freezing  Mixtures, 

The  temperatures  here  given  are  Fahrenheit.  When 
ice  or  snow  are  not  to  be  had  and  it  is  desired  to  cool  any 
solid,  liquid  or  gas,  a  good  freezing  mixture  is  the  simplest 
method  of  accomplishing  the  object.  The  following  mix- 
tures are  the  most  convenient  and  efficient : 

1.  Nitrate  of  ammonia,  carbonate  of  soda  and  water, 
equal  parts  by  weight.     The  thermometer  sinks  57°. 

2.  Phosphate  of  soda,  9  parts  ;  nitrate  of  ammonia,  6 
parts  ;  diluted  nitric  acid,  (acid  1  part,  water  2  parts,)  4  parts. 
Reduces  the  temperature  71°  or  from  50°  to  — 21. c 

3.  Sal  ammoniac,  5  parts  ;  nitrate  of  potash,  5  parts  ; 
sulphate  of  soda,  8  parts;  water,  16  parts.  Reduces  the 
temperature  46°  or  from  70°  to  24°.  This  is  one  of  the 
cheapest,  most  readily  procured,  and  most  convenient  of 
mixtures. 

Freezing  mixtures  are  often  used  when  it  is  required  to- 
produce  a  greater  degree  of  cold  than  can  be  obtained  by 
the  mere  application  of  ice.  When  ice  is  at  hand,  as  it 
generally  is  in  this  country,  the  following  should  be  used : 

1.  Finely  pounded  ice, 2  parts;  salt  1  part.  This  mixture 
reduces  the  temperature  to  5°. 

2.  Finely  pounded  ice,  2  parts  ;  crystallized  chloride  of 
calcium,  3  parts.  Reduces  the  temperature  from  32° 
to  —40°. 

3.  Finely  pounded  ice,  7  parts ;  diluted  nitric  acid,  4 
parts.     Reduces  the  temperature  from  32°  to  — 30°. 

In  every  case  the  materials  should  be  kept  as  cool  as 
possible.  Thus  the  ice  should  be  pounded  in  a  cooled  mor- 
tar with  a  cooled  pestle,  and  the  mixture  should  be  made  in 
vessels  previously  cooled.  By  attention  to  these  particulars 
it  is  easy  to  freeze  mercury  at  any  time  by  means  of  these 
simple  and  easily  practiced  methods,  though,  of  course,  the 


HANDBOOK.  41 

modern  laboratory  is  provided  with  agencies  of  far  greater 
cooling  power. 

Paper. 

There  are  so  many  purposes  to  which  paper  is  applied 
that  a  small  volume  might  be  filled  with  a  description  of 
them.  The  following  are  those  which  will  probably  prove 
most  useful  to  the  amateur  : 

Tracing  Paper. — Tracing  paper  may  be  purchased  so 
cheaply  that  it  is  hardly  worth  while  to  make  it  ;  and 
there  is  a  very  fine,  tough  kind  now  in  market  which  may  be 
mounted  and  colored  almost  like  drawing  paper.  Those 
who  desire  to  prepare  some  for  themselves  will  find  that 
the  following  directions  give  a  good  result.  The  inventor 
of  the  process  received  a  medal  and  premium  from  the 
Society  of  Arts  for  it. 

Open  a  quire  of  tough  tissue  paper,  and  brush  the  first 
sheet  with  a  mixture  of  equal  parts  of  mastic  varnish  and 
oil  of  turpentine.  Proceed  with  each  sheet  similarly  and 
dry  them  on  lines  by  hanging  them  up  singly.  As  the  pro- 
cess goes  on,  the  under  sheets  absorb  a  portion  of  the  var- 
nish, and  require  less  than  if  single  sheets  were  brushed 
separately.  The  paper,  when  dry,  is  quite  light  and  trans- 
parent and  may  readily  be  written  on  with  ink. 

Transfer  Paper. — This  is  useful  for  copying  patterns, 
drawings,  etc.  Designs  for  scroll  saws  may  be  copied  very 
neatly  by  means  of  it.  It  is  easily  made  by  rubbing  a  thin 
but  tough  unglazed  paper  with  a  mixture  of  lard  and  lamp- 
black. The  copy  is  made  by  laying  a  sheet  of  the  transfer 
or,  as  it  is  sometimes  called,  manifold  paper,  over  a  clean 
sheet  of  drawing  or  writing  paper  and  over  it  the  drawing 
to  be  copied.  The  lines  of  the  drawing  are  then  carefully 
traced  with  a  fine  but  blunt  point  and  the  pressure  along 


42  amateue's 

the  Hues  transfers  to  the  clean  paper  underneath  a  perfect 
copy.  To  keep  the  underside  of  the  drawing  or  pattern 
clean,  a  sheet  of  tissue  paper  may  be  placed  between  it  and 
the  transfer  paper. 

Waxed  Paper. — Paper  saturated  with  wax,  paraffin  or 
stearin  is  very  useful  for  wrapping  up  articles  which  should 
be  kept  dry  and  not  exposed  to  the  air.  Place  a  sheet  of 
stout  paper  on  a  heated  iron  plate,  and  over  this  place  the 
sheets  of  unglazed  paper — tissue  paper  does  very  well — that 
are  to  be  waxed.  Enclose  the  wax  or  paraffin  in  a  piece  of 
muslin  and  as  it  melts  spread  it  evenly  over  the  paper. 

Polishing  Powders. 

The  principal  polishing  powders  are  chalk  or  whiting, 
crocus  or  rouge,  emery,  oilstone  powder,  and  putty  or  tutty, 
which  latter  consists  chiefly  of  oxide  of  tin.  Other  powders, 
such  as  tripoli,  bath  brick,  sand,  etc.,  are  rarely  used  for 
the  finer  kinds  of  work.  Emery  is  so  well  known  that  it 
does  not  need  description. 

Chalk  or  Whiting. — Chalk  is  a  native  carbonate  of  lime, 
consisting  of  the  remains  of  minute  creatures  known  as  for- 
aminifera,  and  when  simply  scraped  or  crushed  under  a 
hammer  or  runner,  it  is  sometimes  used  for  polishing  such 
soft  substances  as  bone,  ivory,  etc.  As  it  contains  particles 
of  silica  of  varying  size,  it  cuts  freely,  but  is  apt  to  scratch. 
To  remove  the  gritty  particles,  the  chalk  is  ground,  and  the 
finer  parts  separated  by  washing.  It  then  becomes  whiting, 
which  is  generally  sold  in  lumps.  Whiting  has  very  poor 
cutting  qualities,  and  it  is  therefore  used  chiefly  as  plate 
•powder  for  cleaning  gold,  silver,  glass,  etc.,  and  for  absorb- 
ing grease  from  metals  which  have  been  polished  by  other 
means. 

Prepared  Chalk. — This  is  a  manufactured  article,  pre- 
pared by  adding  a  solution  of  carbonate  of  soda  to  a  solution 


HANDBOOK.  43 

of  chloride  of  calcium  (both  cheap  salts),  so  long  as  a  precip- 
itate is  thrown  down.  The  solutions  should  be  carefully 
filtered  through  paper  before  being  mixed,  and  dust  should 
be  rigorously  excluded.  The  white  powder  which  falls 
down  is  carbonate  of  lime,  or  chalk,  and  when  carefully 
washed  and  dried,  it  forms  a  most  excellent  polishing  powder 
for  the  softer  metals.  The  particles  are  almost  impalpable, 
but  seem  to  be  crystalline,  for  they  polish  quickly  and 
smoothly,  though  they  seem  to  wear  away  the  material  so 
little  that  its  form  or  sharpness  is  not  injured  to  any  per- 
ceptible degree. 

Crocus  or  Rouge. — These  articles  are  manufactured  at 
Liverpool,  by  persons  who  make  it  their  sole  occupation,  in 
the  following  manner : 

They  take  crystals  of  sulphate  of  iron,  (green  vitriol  or 
copperas,)  immediately  from  the  crystallizing  vessels,  in  the 
copperas  works  there,  so  as  to  have  them  as  clean  as  possi- 
ble ;  and  instantly  put  them  into  crucibles  or  cast  iron  pots, 
and  expose  them  to  heat,  without  suffering  the  smallest  par- 
ticle of  dust  to  get  in,  which  would  have  a  tendency  to 
scratch  the  articles  to  be  polished.  Those  portions  which  are 
least  calcined  and  are  of  a  scarlet  color,  are  fit  to  make  rouge 
for  polishing  gold  or  silver,  while  those  which  are  calcined,  or 
have  become  red-purple  or  bluish-purple,  form  crocus  fit  for 
polishing  brass  or  steel.  Of  these,  the  bluish-purple  colored 
parts  are  the  hardest,  and  are  found  nearest  to  the  bottom 
of  the  vessels,  and  consequently  have  been  exposed  to  the 
greatest  degree  of  heat. 

Mr.  Andrew  Ross's  mode  of  preparing  Oxide  of  Iron.— 
Dissolve  crystals  of  sulphate  of  iron  in  water  ;  filter  the 
solution  to  separate  some  particles  of  silex  which  are  gen- 
erally present,  and  sometimes  are  abundant ;  then  precipi- 
tate from  this  filtered  solution  the  protoxide  of  iron,  by  the 
addition  of  a  saturated  solution  of  soda,  which  must  also  be 


44  amateur's 

filtered.  This  grey  oxide  is  to  be  repeatedly  washed  and 
then  dried  ;  put  it  in  this  state  into  a  crucible,  and  very 
gradually  raise  it  to  a  dull  red  heat ;  then  pour  it  into  a 
clean  metal  or  earthen  dish,  and  while  cooling  it  will  absorb 
oxygen  from  the  atmosphere,  and  acquire  a  beautiful  dark 
red  color.  In  this  state  it  is  fit  for  polishing  the  softer  met- 
als, as  silver  and  gold,  but  will  scarcely  make  any  impres- 
sion on  hardened  steel  or  glass.  For  these  latter  purposes  I 
discovered  that  it  is  the  black  oxide  that  affected  the  polish, 
(and  this  gives  to  the  red  oxide  a  purple  hue,  which  is  used 
as  the  criterion  of  its  cutting  quality  in  ordinary,)  therefore 
for  polishing  the  harder  materials  the  oxide  must  be  heated 
to  a  bright  red,  and  kept  in  that  state  until  a  sufficient 
quantity  of  it  is  converted  into  black  oxide  to  give  the  mass 
a  deep  purple  hue  when  exposed  to  the  atmosphere.  I  have 
converted  the  whole  into  black  oxide  ;  but  this  is  liable  to 
scratch,  and  does  not  work  so  pleasantly  as  when  mixed  with 
the  softer  material.  The  powder  must  now  be  levigated 
with  a  soft  wrought  iron  spatula,  upon  a  soft  iron  slab,  and 
afterwards  washed  in  a  very  weak  solution  of  gum  arabic,  as 
recommended  by  Dr.  Green  in  his  paper  on  Specula.  The 
oxide  prepared  in  this  manner  is  almost  impalpable,  and 
free  from  all  extraneous  matter,  and  has  the  requisite  quality 
in  an  eminent  degree  for  polishing  steel,  glass,  the  softer 
gems,  etc. 

Lord  Ross's  Mode  of  preparing  the  Peroxide  of  Iron. — 
"  I  prepare  the  peroxide  of  iron  by  precipitation  with  water  of 
ammonia  from  a  pure  dilute  solution  of  sulphate  of  iron  ; 
the  precipitate  is  washed,  pressed  in  a  screw-press  till  nearly 
dry,  and  exposed  to  a  heat  which  in  the  dark  appears  a  dull 
low  red.  The  only  points  of  importance  are,  that  the  sul- 
phate of  iron  should  be  pure,  that  the  water  of  ammonia 
should  be  decidedly  in  excess,  and  that  the  heat  should 
not   exceed   that  I   have   described.      The  color  will  be   a 


HANDBOOK.  45 

bright  crimson  inclining  to  yellow.  I  have  tried  both  soda 
and  potash,  pure,  instead  of  water  of  ammonia,  but  after 
washing  with  some  degree  of  care,  a  trace  of  the  alkali  still 
remained,  and  the  peroxide  was  of  an  ochrey  color  till  over- 
heated, and  did  not  polish  properly." 

Oilstone  Powder. — Fragments  of  oilstone,  when  pulver- 
ized, sifted  and  washed,  are  much  in  request  by  mechanicians. 
This  abrasive  is  generally  preferred  for  grinding  together 
those  fittings  of  mathematical  instruments  and  machinery, 
which  are  made  wholly  or  in  part  of  brass  or  gun  metal,  for 
oilstone  being  softer  and  more  pulverulent  than  emery,  is 
less  liable  to  become  embedded  in  the  metal  than  emery, 
which  latter  is  then  apt  continually  to  grind,  and  ultimately 
damage  the  accuracy  of  the  fittings  of  brass  works.  In  mod- 
ern practice  it  is  usual,  however,  as  far  as  possible,  to  dis- 
card the  grinding  together  of  surfaces,  with  tli6  view  of 
producing  accuracy  of  form,  or  precision  of  contact. 

Oilstone  powder  is  preferred  to  pumice-stone  powder  for 
polishing  superior  brass  works,  and  it  is  also  used  by  the 
watchmaker  on  rubbers  of  pewter  in  polishing  steel. 

Pumice-stone  Powder. — Pumice-stone  is  a  volcanic  pro- 
duct, and  is  obtained  principally  from  the  Campo  Bianco, 
one  of  the  Lipari  islands,  which  is  entirely  composed  of 
this  substance.  It  is  extensively  employed  in  various 
branches  of  the  arts,  and  particularly  in  the  state  of  powder, 
for  polishing  the  various  articles  of  cut  glass  ;  it  is  also 
■extensively  used  in  dressing  leather,  and  in  grinding  and 
polishing  the  surface  of  metallic  plates,  etc. 

Pumice-stone  is  ground  or  crushed  under  a  runner,  and 
sifted,  and  in  this  state  it  is  used  for  brass  and  other  metal 
works,  and  also  for  japanned,  varnished  and  painted  goods, 
for  which  latter  purposes  it  is  generally  applied  on  woolen 
cloths  with  water. 

Putty  Poioder  is  the   pulverized  oxide  of  tin,  or  gener- 


46  amateur's 

ally  of  tin  and  lead  mixed  in  various  proportions.  The  pro- 
cess of  manufacture  is  alike  in  all  cases, — the  metal  is 
oxidized  in  an  iron  muffle,  or  a  rectangular  box,  close  on 
all  sides,  except  a  square  hole  in  the  front  side.  The  retort 
is  surrounded  by  fire,  and  kept  at  a  red  heat,  so  that  its 
contents  are  partially  ignited,  and  they  are  continually 
stirred  to  expose  fresh  portions  to  the  heated  air  ;  the  pro- 
cess is  complete  when  the  fluid  metal  entirely  disappears, 
and  the  upper  part  of  the  oxide  then  produced,  sparkles 
somewhat  like  particles  of  incandescent  charcoal.  The  oxide 
is  then  removed  with  ladles,  and  spread  over  the  bottom  of 
large  iron  cooling  pans  and  allowed  to  cool.  The  lumps  of 
oxide  which  are  as  hard  as  marble,  are  then  selected  from 
the  mass  and  ground  dry  under  the  runner  ;  the  putty  pow- 
der is  afterwards  carefully  sifted  through  lawn. 

As  a  criterion  of  quality  it  may  be  said  that  the  whitest 
putty  powder  is  the  purest,  provided  it  be  heavy.  Some  of 
the  common  kinds  are  brown  and  yellow,  while  others,  from 
the  intentional  admixture  of  a  little  ivory  black,  are  known 
as  grey  'putty.  The  pure  white  putty  which  is  used  by  mar- 
ble workers,  opticians  and  some  others,  is  the  smoothest  and 
most  cutting  ;  it  should  consist  of  the  oxide  of  tin  alone,  but 
to  lessen  the  difficulty  of  manufacture, a  very  little  lead,  (the 
linings  of  tea  chests,)  or  else  an  alloy  called  sliruff,  (pre- 
pared in  ingots  by  the  pewterers)  is  added  to  assist  the 
oxidation. 

The  putty  powder  of  commerce  of  good  fair  quality,  is 
made  of  about  equal  parts  of  tin  and  lead,  or  tin  and  shruff ; 
the  common  dark  colored  kinds  are  prepared  of  lead  only, 
but  these  are  much  harsher  to  the  touch,  and  altogether 
inferior. 

Perhaps  the  most  extensive  use  of  putty  powder,  is  in 
glass  and  marble  works,  but  the  best  kind  serves  admirably 
as  plate  powder,  and  for  the  general  purposes  of  polishing. 


HANDBOOK.  4-7 

Putty  Powder  for  fine  optical  purposes  is  prepared  by 
Mr.  A.  Ross  by  the  following  method,  which  is  the  result 
of  many  experiments.  Metallic  tin  is  dissolved  in  nitro- 
muriatic  acid,  and  precipitated  from  the  filtered  solution  by 
liquid  ammonia,  both  fluids  being  largely  diluted  with  wa- 
ter. The  peroxide  of  tin  is  then  washed  in  abundance  of 
water,  collected  in  a  cloth  filter,  and  squeezed  as  dry  as* 
possible  in  a  piece  of  new  clean  linen  ;  the  mass  is  now  sub- 
jected to  pressure  in  a  screw-press,  or  between  lever  boards, 
to  make  it  as  dry  as  possible.  When  the  lump  thus  pro- 
duced has  been  broken  in  pieces  and  dried  in  the  air,  it  is 
finally  levigated  while  dry,  on  a  plate  of  glass  with  an  iron  . 
spatula,  and  afterwards  exposed  in  a  crucible  to  a  low  white 
heat. 

Before  the  peroxide  has  been  heated,  or  while  it  is  in 
the  levigated  hydrous  state,  the  putty  powder  possesses  but 
little  cutting  quality,  as  uuder  the  microscope,  the  particles 
then  appear  to  have  no  determined  form,  or  to  heamorpJious, 
and  on  being  wetted,  to  resume  the  gelatinous  condition  of 
the  hydrous  precipitate,  so  as  to  be  useless  for  polishing ; 
whereas  when  the  powder  is  heated,  to  render  it  anhydrous, 
most  of  the  particles  take  their  natural  form,  that  of  lam- 
ellar crystals,  and  act  with  far  more  energy,  (yet  without 
scratching)  than  any  of  the  ordinary  polishing  powders. 
The  whole  mass  requires  to  be  washed  or  elutriated  in  the 
usual  manner  after  having  been  heated,  in  order  to  separate 
the  coarser  particles. 

Mr.  Ross  usually  adds  a  little  crocus  to  the  putty  powder 
by  way  of  coloring  matter,as  it  is  then  easier  to  learn  the 
quantity  of  powder  that  remains  on  the  polishing  tool,  and 
it  may  be  added  that  this  is  the  polishing  powder  employed 
by  Mr.  Ross  in  making  his  improved  achromatic  object 
glasses  for  astronomical  telescopes. 


48  amateur's 

Signal  and  Colored  Lights. 

The  following  recipes  are  from  the  United  States  Ord- 
nance Manual,  and  may  be  considered  reliable.  The  com- 
position for  signal  lights  is  packed  in  shallow  vessels  of 
large  diameter  so  as  to  expose  considerable  surface.  Where 
the  burning  surface  is  large,  the  light  attains  great  intensity, 
but  the  material  burns  out  rapidly.  In  arranging  the  size 
and  shape  of  the  case,  therefore,  regard  must  be  had  to  the 
time  the  light  is  expected  to  burn  and  the  brilliancy  that  is 
wanted.     [See  caution  at  end  of  this  article^ 

Bengal  Light. — Antimony,  2  ;  sulphur,  4 ;  mealed  powder, 
4  ;  nitrate  of  soda,  16. 

Blue. — Black  sulphuret  of  antimony,  1;  sulphur,  2; 
pure  nitre,  6.  Grind  to  a  very  fine  powder  and  mix  thor- 
oughly. See  that  the  nitre  is  perfectly  dry.  This  compo- 
sition gives  a  bluish  white  light  ;  a  deeper  blue  may  be  had 
by  the  addition  of  a  little  finely  pulverized  zinc. 

Bed. — 1.  Saltpetre,  5;  sulphur,  6;  nitrate  of  strontia, 
20  ;  lampblack,  1. 

2.  Nitrate  of  strontia,  20  ;  chlorate  of  potassa,  8  ;  sulphur, 
(j ;  charcoal,  1. 

White. —  Saltpetre,  1G  ;  sulphur,  8 ;  mealed  powder,  4. 
Grind  to  a  very  fine  powder  and  mix  well. 

The  following  have  been  very  highly  recommended : 
Crimson  Fire. — Sulphide  of  antimony,  4  ;  chlorate  of  pot- 
assa, 5  ;  powdered  roll  brimstone,  13  ;  dry  nitrate  of  stron- 
tia, 40  parts. 

A  very  little  charcoal  added  to  the  above  makes  it  burn 
quicker. 

Green  Fire. — Fine  charcoal,  3;  sulphur,  13 ;  chlorate  of 
potassa,  8  ;  nitrate  of  baryta,  77. 

White. — 1.  Nitrate  of  potassa  (saltpetre),  24;  sulphur 
7  ;  charcoal,  1. 


HANDBOOK.  49 

2.  Xitre,  6;  sulphur,  2;  yellow  sulphuret  of  arsenic,  1. 
[Note. — This  light  is  a  very  brilliant  one  and  a  very  pure 
white,  but  the  fumes  are  highly  poisonous.  It  should  be 
used  only  in  the  open  air  and  tbe  wind  should  blow  the 
vapors  away  from  the  spectators — not  towards  them.] 

3.  Chlorate  of  potash,  10  ;  nitre,  5  ;  lycopodium,  3  ;  char- 
coal 2. 

4.  Metallic  magnesium  in  the  form  of  ribbon  or  wire. 
This  is  the  best  and  most  easily  used.  It  may  be  purchased 
of  most  dealers  in  chemicals.  A  few  inches  of  magnesium 
ribbon  coiled  into  a  spiral  (like  a  spiral  spring)  and  ignited 
by  means  of  a  spirit  lamp  or  even  by  a  little  tuft  of  cotton 
soaked  in  alcohol  and  fired  with  a  lucifer  match,  makes  a 
light  of  surpassing  brilliancy  and  power.  It  requires  a  slight 
knack  to  ignite  the  ribbon.  Hold  the  end  of  it  steadily  in 
the  outer  edge  of  the  flame  and  it  will  soon  take  fire.  The 
light  given  out  by  a  small  ribbon  of  magnesium  is  clearly 
visible  at  a  distance  of  thirty  miles. 

Lights  for  Indoor  Illuminations. — Many  of  the  above  are 
unfit  for  indoor  exhibitions  owing  to  the  amount  of  sul- 
phurous gas  given  off.  For  tableaux  in  churches,  schools 
and  private  houses,  the  best  light  is  undoubtedly  magnesium 
or,  where  it  can  be  had.  the  lime  light  (sometimes,  though 
erroneously,  called  the  calcium  light).  Both  of  these  lights 
are  very  powerful,  and  any  color  may  be  obtained  by  the 
use  of  pieces  of  differently  colored  glass.  A  very  effective 
arrangement  consists  of  a  tin  box,  which  may  be  made  out 
of  one  of  those  cases  in  which  crackers  are  imported.  Pro- 
cure good-sized  pieces  of  red  and  blue  glass,  the  red  being  a 
soft,  warm  tint,  such  as  will  add  a  richness  to  the  complex- 
ions of  those  upon  whom  the  light  is  thrown.  Arrange  one 
end  of  the  tin  box  so  that  these  glasses  may  be  slipped  over 
a  large  hole  in  it.  The  opposite  end  of  the  box  should  be 
highly  polished  so  as  to  act  as  a  reflector,  and  a  hole  should 


50  amateur's 

be  cut  in  one  side  so  as  to  allow  of  the  introduction  of  the 
magnesium. 

In  every  case  the  burning  matter  should  be  so  shaded 
that  it  may  not  be  seen  by  the  audience.  If  the  direct  light 
from  the  burning  body  meets  the  eyes  of  the  spectators  the 
reflected  light  from  the  objects  composing  the  tableau  will 
have  no  effect. 

Where  arrangements  for  lime  or  magnesium  lights  can- 
not be  made,  the  following  may  be  used. 

White. — Chlorate  of  potash,  12 ;  nitre,  5  ;  finely  powdered 
loaf  sugar,  4  ;  lycopodium,  2. 

Green. — Nitrate  of  baryta,  shellac  and  chlorate  of  pot- 
assa,  all  finely  powdered,  equal  parts  by  bulk. 

Red. — Nitrate  of  strontia,  shellac  and  chlorate  of  potassa, 
all  finely  powdered,  equal  parts  by  bulk. 

The  brilliancy  of  these  fires  will  depend  largely  upon  the 
thoroughness  with  which  the  materials  are  finely  powdered 
and  mixed.     {See  caution  at  end  of  this  article.] 

Braunschweizer  recommends  the  following  formula  as 
giving  excellent  results,  the  lights  being  good  without  pro- 
ducing injurious  fumes: 

Bed. — Nitrate  of  strontia,  9  ;  shellac,  3 ;  chlorate  of  pot- 
assa 1^. 

Green. — Nitrate  of  baryta,  9  ;  shellac,  3  ;  chlorate  of  pot- 
assa,  i-TT" 

Blue. — Ammoniacal  sulphate  of  copper,  8  ;  chlorate  of 
potassa,  6  ;  shellac,  1 . 

Gliosis,  Demons-,  Spectres  and  Murderers. — To  give  a 
ghastly  hue  to  the  faces  of  the  actors,  the  best  light  is  that 
produced  by  some  salt  of  soda,  common  salt  being  very  good. 
We  have  succeeded  well  in  this  way :  A  piece  of  wire  gauze 
such  as  ash-sifters  are  made  of,  and  about  a  foot  square  was 
supported  at  a  height  of  about  a  foot  from  the  floor,  which 
was  protected  by  a  sheet  of  iron.     On  the  wire  gauze  were 


HANDBOOK.  51 

laid  twenty-five  wads  of  cotton  waste  which,  had  been  soaked 
in  a  solution  of  common  salt,  dried  and  dipped  in  alcohol 
just  before  being  laid  on  the  wire.  When  these  were  ignited 
we  had  twenty-five  powerful  flames  all  tinged  with  sodium 
and  burning  freely,  as  the  air  rose  readily  among  them 
through  the  wire  grating.  Such  a  flame  produces  quite  a 
powerful  light  and  gives  a  death-like  appearance  to  even 
the  most  rosy-cheeked  girl. 

The  following  give  a  strong  light  and  produce  a  most 
ghastly  effect : 

1.  Nitrate  of  soda,  10 ;  chlorate  of  potash,  10 ;  sulphide 
of  antimony,  3  ;  shellac,  4.  The  materials  must  be  warm 
and  dry,  and  as  the  nitrate  of  soda  attracts  moisture  rapidly 
it  must  be  well  dried,  then  finely  powdered  as  quickly  as 
possible  and  kept  in  well-corked  bottles.  As  this  gives  off 
a  good  deal  of  sulphurous  fumes,  the  following  may  be  pre- 
ferred where  the  ventilation  is  not  good : 

2.  Nitrate  of  soda,  10  ;  chlorate  of  potassa,  15  ;  white 
sugar  finely  powdered,  5  ;  lycopodium,  2. 

CAUTION. 

In  using  chlorate  of  potassa  the  greatest  care  is  necessary. 
It  may  be  powdered  and  otherwise  handled  safely  when 
alone,  but  when  combustible  matter  of  any  kind  is  added  to 
it  the  mixture  becomes  highly  explosive  and  must  be  very 
gently  handled.  It  must  therefore  be  powdered  separately 
and  only  mixed  with  the  other  ingredients  after  they  have 
been  powdered.  The  mixing  should  be  done  on  a  large 
sheet  of  paper,  very  gently,  but  very  thoroughly,  with  a 
thin,  broad-bladed  knife. 

Mixtures  of  chlorate  of  potash  with  sulphur,  sulphurets, 
and  especially  phosphorus,  are  liable  to  explode  spontane- 
ously after  a  time,  and  should  never  be  kept  on  hand.  They 
should  be  made  as  wanted. 


MISCELLANEOUS    RECIPES. 


To  remove  the  Blue  Color  imparted  to  Iron  and  Steel  by 
exposure  to  Heat. — Rub  lightly  with  a  sponge  or  rag  dipped 
in  diluted  sulphuric,  nitric,  or  hydrochloric  acid.  When  the 
discoloration  is  removed,  carefully  wash  the  article,  dry  it  by 
rubbing,  warm  it  and  give  a  coat  of  oil  or  it  will  rapidly 
rust. 

Size  for  Improving  poor  Drawing  Paper. — Take  loz.  of 
white  glue,  loz.  of  white  soap  and  |oz.  of  alum.  Soak  the 
glue  and  the  soap  in  water  until  they  appear  like  jelly ;  then 
simmer  in  1  quart  of  water  until  the  whole  is  melted.  Add 
the  alum,  simmer  again  and  filter.     To  be  applied  hot. 

To  fix  Pencil  Marks  so  they  will  not  rub  out. — Take  well- 
skimmed  milk  and  dilute  with  an  equal  bulk  of  water. 
Wash  the  pencil  marks,  (whether  writing  or  drawing,)  with 
this  liquid,  using  a  soft  camel-hair  flat  brush,  and  avoiding 
all  rubbing.     Place  upon  a  flat  board  to  dry. 

Cure  for  Burns. — A  solution  of  bicarbonate  of  soda  ap- 
plied to  burns,  promptly  and  permanently  relieves  all  pain. 
A  laboratory  assistant  in  Philadelphia  having  severely  burned 
the  inside  of  the  last  joint  of  his  thumb  while  bending  glass 
tubing,  applied  the  solution  of  bicarbonate  of  soda,  and  not 
only  was  the  pain  allayed  but  the  thumb  could  be  at  once 
freely  used  without  inconvenience.  Bicarbonate  of  soda  is 
simply  the  best  baking  soda. 

Care  of  Looking  Glasses. — When  looking  glasses  are  ex- 
posed to  the  direct  rays  of  the  sun  or  to  very  strong  heat  from 


HANDBOOK.  53 

a  fire  the  amalgam  is  apt  to  crystallize  and  the  mirror  loses 
its  brilliancy.  If  a  mirror  is  placed  where  tho  rays  of  the 
sun  can  strike  it,  it  should  be  covered  in  that  part  of  the 
day  during  which  it  is  exposed. 

The  best  method  of  cleaning  looking  glasses  is  as  follows  : 
Take  a  newspaper,  fold  it  small,  dip  it  in  a  basin  of  clean 
cold  water.  When  thoroughly  wet  squeeze  it  out  as  you  do 
a  sponge  ;  then  rub  it  pretty  hard  all  over  the  surface  of  the 
glass,  taking  care  that  it  is  not  so  wet  as  to  run  down  in 
streams  ;  in  fact,  the  paper  must  only  be  completely  moist- 
ened or  dampened  all  through.  Let  it  rest  a  few  minutes, 
then  go  over  the  glass  with  a  piece  of  fresh  newspaper  till  it 
looks  clear  and  bright.  The  insides  of  windows  may  be 
cleaned  in  the  same  way  ;  also  spectacle  glasses,  lamp-glasses, 
etc.  White  paper  that  has  not  been  printed  on  is  better  ;  but 
in  the  absence  of  that  a  very  old  newspaper,  on  which  the 
ink  has  become  thoroughly  dried,  should  be  used.  Writing 
paper  will  not  answer. 

Laundry  Gloss. — Various  recipes  have  been  given  for  im- 
parting a  fine  gloss  to  linen.  Gum  arabic,  white  wax,  sper- 
maceti, etc.,  have  all  been  highly  recommended  and  are,  no 
doubt,  useful  to  a  certain  extent,  but  the  great  secret  seems 
to  lie  in  the  quality  of  the  iron  used  and  the  skill  of  the  laun- 
dress. If  the  iron  is  hard,  close  grained  and  finely  polished, 
the  work  will  be  much  easier.  Laundresses  always  have  a 
favorite  smoothing  iron  with  which  they  do  most  of  their 
work,  and  many  of  them"  have  the  front  edge  of  the  iron 
rounded  so  that  great  pressure  can  be  brought  to  bear  on  a 
very  small  spot  instead  of  being  spread  over  a  space  the  size 
of  the  whole  face  of  the  iron.  If  smoothing  irons  have  be- 
come rough  and  rusty  it  will  pay  to  send  them  to  a  grinder 
to  have  them  not  only  ground  but  buffed, (Bee  article  on  Pol- 
ishing Metals).  The  greatest  care  should  be  taken  not  to  al- 
low them  to  get  spotted  with  rust  and  they  should  never  be 
"  brightened  "  with  coarse  sand,  ashes,  emery,  etc.     If  it  is 


amateur's 

necessary  to  polish  them,  rub  them  on  a  board,  or  preferably 
a  piece  of  leather  charged  with  the  finest  flour  of  emery, 
obtained  by  washing,  or  better  still,  jeweller's  rouge. 

Kalsomine. — Professors  of  the  "Art  of  Kalsomining" 
affect  a  great  deal  of  mystery,  but  the  process  is  very  sim- 
ple. It  consists  simply  in  making  a  whitewash  with  some 
neutral  substance  which  is  made  to  adhere  by  means  of  size 
or  glue.  It  contains  no  caustic  material  like  lime.  Several 
substances  have  been  used  with  good  results.  The-  best  is 
zinc  white.  It  gives  the  most  brilliant  effect  but  is  the  most 
expensive.  The  next  is  Paris  white  or  sulphate  of  baryta. 
This,  when  pure,  is  nearly  equal  to  zinc  white,  but  unfortu- 
nately common  whiting  is  often  sold  for  it  and  more  often 
mixed  with  it.  It  is  not  difficult,  however,  to  detect  common 
whiting  either  when  alone  or  mixed  with  Paris  white.  When 
vinegar  or  better  still,  spirits  of  salt,  is  poured  on  whiting  it 
foams  or  effervesces,  but  produces  no  effect  on  Paris  white. 
Good  whiting,  however,  gives  very  fair  results  and  makes  a 
far  better  finish  than  common  lime. 

With  any  one  of  these  three  substances,  or  a  mixture  of 
them,  a  good  whitewash  or  kalsomine  may  be  prepared  as 
follows :  Select  some  very  clear  colorless  glue  and  soak  £lb. 
in  water  for  12  hours.  Then  boil  it,  taking  great  care  that 
it  does  not  burn,  and  this  is  best  done  by  setting  the  vessel 
with  the  glue  in  a  pan  of  water  over  the  fire.  When  com- 
pletely dissolved  add  it  to  a  large  pail  of  hot  water  and  into 
any  desired  quantity  of  this  stir  as  much  of  the  white  material 
used  as  will  make  a  cream.  The  quality  of  the  resulting 
work  will  depend  on  the  skill  of  the  operator,  but  we  may 
remark  that  it  is  easier  to  get  a  smooth  hard  finish  by  using 
three  coats  of  thin  wash  than  by  using  one  coat  of  thick. 
If  you  have  time  for  but  one  coat,  however,  you  must  give 
it  body  enough.  In  giving  more  than  one  coat  let  the  last 
coat  contain  less  glue  than  the  preceding  ones 


HANDBOOK.  55 

To  Stain  Dried  Grass. — There  are  few  prettier  ornaments, 
and  none  more  economical  and  lasting,  than  bouquets  of 
dried  grasses  mingled  with  the  various  unchangeable  flow- 
ers. They  have  but  one  fault,  and  that  is  this,  the  want  of 
other  colors  besides  yellow  and  drab  or  brown.  To  vary 
their  shade  artificially  these  flowers  are  sometimes  dyed  green. 
This,  however,  is  in  bad  taste  and  unnatural.  The  best 
effect  is  produced  by  blending  rose  and  red  tints  together, 
and  with  a  very  little  pale  blue  with  the  grasses  and  flowers 
as  they  dry  naturally.  The  best  means  of  dyeing  dried 
leaves,  flowers  and  grasses  is  to  dip  them  into  the  alcoholic 
solution  of  the  various  compounds  of  aniline.  Some  of  these 
have  a  beautiful  rose  shade ;  others  red,  blue,  orange  and 
purple.  The  depth  of  color  can  be  regulated  by  diluting,  if 
necessary,  the  original  dyes,  with  alcohol,  down  to  the  shade 
desired.  When  taken  out  of  the  dye  they  should  be  ex- 
posed to  the  air  to  dry  off  the  alcohol.  They  then  require 
arranging  or  setting  into  form,  as,  when  wet,  the  petals  and 
fine  filaments  have  a  tendency  to  cling  together.  A  pink 
saucer,  as  sold  by  most  druggists,  will  supply  enough  rose 
dye  for  two  ordinary  bouquets.  The  pink  saucer  yields  the 
best  rose  dye  by  washing  it  off  with  water  and  lemon  juice. 
The  aniline  dyes  yield  the  best  violet,  mauve  and  purple 
~"«lors. 


56  amateur's 

Amalgamating  Zincs  for  Voltaic  Batteries. — When  the 
zincs  are  new  and  uncorroded,  this  is  an  easy  process.  Dip 
the  zincs  in  dilute  sulphuric  acid  (8  parts  water  and  1  of  acid) 
and  rub  them  with  mercury.  The  mercury  will  adhere  quite 
readily  and  render  the  entire  surface  brilliant  and  silvery. 
But  when  the  zincs  are  old  and  corroded  it  will  be  found  that 
the  mercury  does  not  adhere  to  some  parts.  In  such  cases 
wash  the  surface  of  the  zinc  with  a  solution  of  nitrate  of 
mercury  and  it  will  become  coated  with  amalgam.  Once  the 
surface  is  touched,  it  is  easy  to  add  as  much  mercury  as  may 
be  desired  by  simply  rubbing  on  the  liquid  metal. 

The  coating  of  mercury  adds  greatly  to  the  durability 
of  the  zincs,  as  when  so  prepared  the  acid  will  not  act  on 
them  except  when  the  current  is  passing,  and  from  the  ex- 
cellent condition  of  the  entire  surface  the  power  of  the  bat- 
tery is  greatly  increased. 

Amber,  to  Unite  Broken  Pieces. — Coat  with  linseed  oil 
the  surfaces  that  are  to  be  joined  ;  hold  the  oiled  parts  care- 
fully over  a  charcoal  fire,  a  few  hot  cinders  or  a  gaslight, 
being  careful  to  cover  up  all  the  rest  of  the  object  loosely 
with  paper.  When  the  oiled  parts  have  begun  to  feel  the 
heat  so  as  to  be  sticky,  press  and  clamp  them  together  and 
keep  them  so  until  nearly  cold.  Only  that  part  where  the 
edges  are  to  be  united  must  be  warmed,  and  even  that  with 
care  lest  the  form  or  polish  of  the  other  parts  should  be  dis- 
turbed ;  the  part  where  the  joint  occurs  generally  requires 
to  be  repolished. 

Arsenical  Preservative  Poicder. — This  is  dusted  over 
moist  skins  and  flesh,  and  preserves  almost  any  animal  mat- 
ter from  putrefactiou.  It  is  thus  made  :  Arsenic,  4oz  ;  burnt 
alum,  4oz  ;  tanner's  bark,  8oz  ;  mix  and  grind  together  to  a 
very  fine  powder. 

Arsenical  Soap. — This  is  the  most  powerful  preservative 
in  use.     It  is  a  strong  poison,  but  is  invaluable  for  preserv- 


HANDBOOK.  57 

ing  skins  of  birds  and  beasts  tbat  are  to  be  stuffed.  It  is 
made  tbus :  Powdered  arsenic,  2oz  ;  camphor,  ooz  ;  white 
soap,2oz  ;  salt  of  tartar  (sub-carbonate  of  potash),  6  drachms  ; 
powdered  lime  2  drachms.  Cut  the  soap  in  very  thin  slices 
and  heat  gently  with  a  small  quantity  of  water,  stirring  all 
the  time  with  a  stick.  When  thoroughly  melted  add  the 
salt  of  tartar  and  the  lime.  When  these  are  well  mixed  to- 
gether add  the  arsenic,  which  must  be  carefully  incorporated 
with  the  other  ingredients.  Take  the  mixture  off  the  fire 
and  while  cooling  add  the  camphor,  previously  reduced  to 
powder  by  rubbing  it  with  a  little  alcohol.  When  finished 
the  soap  should  be  of  the  consistence  of  thick  cream  and 
should  be  kept  in  a  tightly  stopped  bottle. 

Black  Varnish  for  Cast  Iron. — For  those  objects  to 
which  it  is  applicable,  one  of  the  best  black  varnishes  is  ob- 
tained by  applying  boiled  linseed  oil  to  the  iron,  the  latter 
being  heated  to  a  temperature  that  will  just  char  or  blacken 
the  oil.  The  oil  seems  to  enter  into  the  pores  of  the  iron, 
and  after  such  an  application  the  metal  resists  rust  and  cor- 
rosive agents  very  perfectly. 

Black  Varnish  for  Optical  Work. — The  external  surfaces 
of  brass  and  iron  are  generally  blacked  or  bronzed  with 
compositions  given  under  the  head  of  lacquers.  The  insides 
of  the  tubes  of  telescopes  and  microscopes  should  be  coated 
with  a  dead  black  varnish  so  as  to  absorb  the  light  and  pre- 
vent any  glare.  The  varnish  that  is  generally  used  for  this 
purpose  consists  of  lampblack,  made  liquid  by  means  of  a 
very  thin  solution  of  shellac  in  alcohol,  but  such  varnish,  even 
when  laid  on  warm  metal,  is  very  apt  to  scale  off  and  thus 
produce  two  serious  evils — the  exposure  of  the  bright  metal- 
lic surface,  and  the  deposit  of  specks  on  the  lenses.  It  will 
therefore  be  found  that  lampblack,  carefully  ground  in  tur- 
pentine, to  which  about  a  fifth  of  its  volume  of  gold  size  or 
boiled  linseed  oil  has  been  added,  will  adhere  much  more 


■58  amateur's 

firmly.  The  metal  should  be  warm  when  the  varnish  is  ap- 
plied. 

Cat-gut. — This  material  is  so  valuable  for  many  purposes 
that  amateur  mechanics  will  find  it  useful  to  know  how  to 
make  it.  The  process  is  quite  simple.  Take  the  entrails  of 
sheep  or  other  animals,  remembering  that  fat  animals  afford 
a  very  weak  string,  while  those  that  are  lean  produce  a 
much  tougher  article,  and  thoroughly  clean  them  from 
all  impurities,  attached  fat,  etc.  The  animal  should  be 
newly  killed.  Wash  well  in  clean  water  and  soak  in 
soft  water  for  two  days,  or  in  winter  for  three  days ;  lay 
them  on  a  table  or  board  and  scrape  them  with  a  small  plate 
of  copper  having  a  semicircular  hole  cut  in  it,  the  edges  of 
which  must  be  quite  smooth  and  not  capable  of  cutting. 
After  washing  put  them  into  fresh  water  and  there  let  them 
remain  till  the  next  day,  when  they  are  to  be  well  scraped. 
Let  them  soak  again  in  water  for  a  night,  and  two  or  three 
hours  before  they  are  taken  out  add  to  each  gallon  of  water 
2oz.  of  potash.  They  ought  now  to  scrape  quite  clean  from 
their  inner  mucous  coat,  and  will  consequently  be  much 
smaller  in  dimensions  than  at  first.  They  may  now  be  wiped 
dry,  slightly  twisted,  and  passed  through  a  hole  in  a  piece 
of  brass  to  equalize  their  size  ;  as  they  dry  they  are  passed 
every  two  or  three  hours  through  other  holes,  each  smaller 
than  the  last.  When  dry  they  will  be  round  and  well  pol- 
ished, and  after  being  oiled  are  fit  for  use. 

Coral,  Artificial. — Twigs,  raisin  stalks  and  any  objects 
having  the  general  outline  of  branched  coral  may  be  made 
to  resemble  that  material  by  being  dipped  in  a  mixture  of 
4  parts  resin,  3  parts  beeswax  and  2  parts  vermilion,  melted 
together  and  thoroughly  mixed.  The  effect  is  very  pretty, 
and  for  ornamental  work  such  imitation  coral,  is  very 
useful. 

Dresses — To  Bender  Fire  Proof. — Some  years  ago  Queen 


HANDBOOK.  59 

Victoria  appointed  a  commission  to  investigate  this  subject. 
It  was  found  that  there  were  hut  four  salts  which  were  ap- 
plicable to  light  fabrics  :  1,  Phosphate  of  ammonia  ;  2,  a 
mixture  of  phosphate  of  ammonia  and  chloride  of  ammonia  ; 
3,  sulphate  of  ammonia  ;  4,  tungstate  of  soda.  Of  these,  the 
best  was  tungstate  of  soda,  a  salt  which  is  not  by  any  means 
expensive.  Sulphate  of  ammonia  is  objectionable,  from  the 
fact  that  it  acts  on  the  irons  and  moulds  the  fabric.  The 
tungstate  of  soda  is  neither  injurious  to  the  texture  or  color, 
or  in  any  degree  difficult  of  application  in  the  washing  pro- 
cess. The  iron  passes  over  the  material  quite  as  smoothly 
as  if  no  solution  had  been  employed.  The  solution  increases 
the  stiffness  of  the  fabric,  and  its  protecting  power  against 
fire  is  perfect.  This  salt  offers  only  one  difficulty,  viz. :  the 
formation  of  a  bitungstate,  of  little  solubility,  which  crystal- 
lizes from  the  solution  ;  but  it  was  found  that  a  very  small 
percentage  of  phosphate  of  soda  rendered  the  tungstate  quite 
stable.  The  best  method  of  applying  these  salts  is  to  take 
one  ounce  of  tungstate  of  soda  and  a  quarter  of  an  ounce  of 
phosphate  of  soda,  and  dissolve  them  in  a  quart  of  water. 
The  goods  are  moistened  with  this  solution  before  being 
starched,  and  they  may  be  afterwards  ironed  and  finished 
without  the  least  difficulty. 

Articles  prepared  in  this  way  are  perfectly  uninflamma- 
ble. They  may  be  charred  by  exposure  to  fire,  but  they  do 
not  burn  readily  unless  there  is  some  extraneous  source  of 
heat,  and  they  can  not  be  made  to  burst  into  flame.  By  the 
aid  of  this  discovery,  a  lady  dressed  in  the  lightest  muslin 
might  walk  over  a  row  of  footlights,  and  the  only  result 
would  be  that  the  lower  part  of  her  dress  would  be  injured. 
Unless  her  person  actually  came  in  contact  with  the  gas 
flames,  she  herself  would  suffer  no  injury.  In  country 
places,  where  tungstate  of  soda  cannot  be  procured,  a  mix- 
ture of  three  parts  borax,  and  two  and  a  half  parts  sulphate 


00  amateur's 

of  magnesia,  in  twenty  parts  of  water,  may  be  used  with 
good  effect. 

Glass-paper. — Paper  coated  with  glass  is  known  by  this 
name  just  as  paper  coated  with  fine  sharp  sand  is  called 
sand-paper,  and  paper  coated  with  emery  is  called  emery 
paper.  Paper  or  a  cheap  cloth  is  coated  with  thinnish  glue, 
dusted  heavily  and  evenly  with  glass-powder  of  the  proper 
fineness,  and  allowed  to  become  nearly  dry.  The  superflu 
ous  powder  is  then  shaken  off,  the  sheets  are  pressed  to 
make  them  even  and  afterwards  thoroughly  dried. 

The  objection  to  ordinary  glass-paper  is  that  it  is  easily 
injured  by  heat  and  moisture.  If  the  glue  be  mixed  with  a 
little  bichromate  of  potassa  before  it  is  applied  to  the  cloth, 
and  exposed  for  some  time  to  strong  bright  sunshine  while  it 
isxlrying.  it  will  become  insoluble  in  water. 

The  glue  may  also  be  rendered.insoluble  by  the  process 
of  tanning.  The  paper  or  cloth  is  first  soaked  in  a  solution 
of  tannic  acid  and  dried.  The  glue  is  then  applied,  the  pow- 
dered glass  dusted  on,  and  over  it  is  dusted  a  little  tannic  acid. 
If  the  glue  be  not  very  moist,  it  should  be  damped  by  means 
of  an  atomizer,  a  very  cheap  form  of  which  is  figured  in  The 
Yotjng  Scientist,  Vol.  II.  The  sheets  are  then  slowly  dried 
and  will  be  found  to  resist  moisture  very  thoroughly. 

Glass — To  Powder. — Powdered  glass  is  frequently  used 
instead  of  paper,  cloth,  cotton  or  sand  for  filtering  varnishes, 
acids,  etc.  It  is  not  soluble  or  corrodible.  Sand,  if  purely 
silicious,  would  be  better,  but  such  sand  is  difficult  to  get ; 
it  too  often  contains  matters  which  are  easily  corroded  or 
dissolved.  Powdered  glass  when  glued  to  paper  is  also  used 
for  polishing  wood  and  other  materials.  It  cuts  rapidly  and 
cleanly,  and  is  better  than  sand  for  most  purposes.  Glass  is- 
easily  pulverized  after  being  heated  red  hot  and  plunged 
into  cold  water.  It  cracks  in  every  direction,  becomes  hard 
and  brittle  and  breaks  with  keenly  cutting  edges.     After 


HANDBOOK.  61 

being  pounded  in  a  mortar  it  may  be  divided  into  powders 
of  different  degrees  of  fineness  by  being  sifted  through  lawn 
sieves. 

Glass — Imitation  Ground. — Put  a  piece  of  putty  in  mus- 
lin, twist  the  fabric  tight,  and  tie  it  into  the  shape  of  a  pad  ; 
well  clean  the  glass  first,  and  then  putty  it  all  over.  The 
*,putty  -will  exude  sufficiently  through  the  muslin  to  render 
the  stain  opaque.  Let  it  dry  hard,  and  then  varnish.  If  a 
pattern  is  required,  cut  it  out  in  paper  as  a  stencil  ;  place  it 
so  as  not  to  slip,  and  proceed  as  above,  removing  the  stencil 
when  finished.  If  there  should  be  any  objection  to  the  ex- 
istence of  the  clear  spaces,  cover  with  slightly  opaque  var- 
nish. In  this  way  very  neat  and  cheap  signs  may  be  painted 
■on  glass  doors. 

Glass  Ware — Packing. — Every  one  has  this  duty  to  per- 
form occasionally,  and  it  is  well  to  know  how  it  should  be 
done.  The  safety  of  glass  articles  packed  together  in  a  box 
does  not  depend  so  much  upon  the  quantity  of  packing  ma- 
terial used,  as  upon  the  fact  that  no  two  pieces  of  glass  come 
into  actual  contact.  In  packing  plates,  a  single  straw  placed 
between  two  of  them  will  prevent  them  from  breaking  each 
•other.  In  packing  bottles  in  a  case,  such  as  the  collecting 
case  of  the  microscopist,  and  the  test  case  of  the  chemist, 
rubber  rings  slipped  over  each,  will  be  found  the  best  and 
handiest  packing  material.  They  have  this  great  advantage 
that  they  do  not  give  rise  to  dust. 

Glue — Portable. — Put  a  pinch  of  shredded  gelatine  into  a 
wide-mouthed  bottle  ;  put  on  it  a  very  little  water,  and 
about  one-fourth  part  of  glacial  acetic  acid;  put  in  a  well- 
fitting  cork.  If  the  right  quantity  of  water  and  acid  be 
used,  the  gelatine  will  swell  up  into  worm-like  pieces,  quite 
elastic,  but  at  the  same  time,  firm  enough  to  be  handled 
comfortably.  The  acid  will  make  the  preparation  keep  in- 
definitely.    When  required  for  use,  take  a  small  fragment 


62  amateur's 

of  the  swelled  gelatine,  and  warm  the  end  of  it  in  the  rlaine 
of  a  match  or  candle;  it  will  immediately  "run"  into  a  fine 
clear  glue,  which  can  be  applied  at  once  direct  to  the  article 
to  be  mended.  The  thing  is  done  in  half  a  minute,  and  is, 
moreover,  done  well,  for  the  gelatine  so  treated  makes  the 
very  best  and  finest  glue  that  can  be  had.  This  plan  might  be 
modified  by  dissolving  a  trace  of  chrome  alum  in  the  water 
used  for  moistening  the  gelatine,  in  which  case,  no  doubt,  the 
glue  would  become  insoluble  when  set.  But  for  general 
purposes,  there  is  no  need  for  subsequent  insolubility  in  glue. 

Javelle  Water. — Take  41bs.  carbonate  of  soda,  and  lib. 
chloride  of  lime  ;  put  the  soda  into  a  kettle,  add  1  gallon  of 
boiling  water  and  boil  for  from  10  to  15  minutes  ;  then  stir 
in  the  chloride  of  lime,  breaking  down  all  lumps  with  a 
wooden  spatula  or  stirrer.  Pour  into  large  glass  bottles  ; 
when  cold  and  settled  it  will  be  ready  for  use. 

This  forms  a  very  efficient  bleaching  liquid,  and  one 
which  it  is  not  difficult  to  remove  from  the  bleached  fabric. 
Old  and  stained  engravings  and  books,  as  well  as  linen  and 
cotton  goods  that  have  become  yellow  with  dirt  and  age,  may 
be  rendered  snowy  white  by  the  application  of  this  liquid. 

Jeieelry — Gleaning. — Ordinary  gold  jewelry  may  be  effect- 
ually cleansed  by  washing  with  soap  and  warm  water,  rins- 
ing in  cold  water  and  drying  in  warm  box- wood  saw-dust. 
Plain,  smooth  surfaces  may  be  rubbed  with  chamois  leather 
charged  either  with  rouge  or  prepared  chalk,  but  the  less 
rubbing  the  better. 

Silver  is  liable  to  tarnish  by  the  action  of  sulphur,  and 
where  there  is  fine  chased  or  engraved  work  the  extreme 
delicacy  of  the  lines  may  be  injured  by  much  rubbing.  In 
such  cases  the  articles  may  be  cleaned  by  washing  with  a. 
solution  of  hyposulphite  of  soda.  Cyanide  of  potassium  is 
a  more  powerful  cleansing  agent  but  is  very  poisonous. 

Painting  Bright  Metals. — When  paint  is  applied  to  bright 


HANDBOOK.  63 

metals  like  tin  or  zinc,  it  is  very  apt  to  peel  off.  This  diffi- 
culty is  greatly  lessened  if  the  metal  be  hot  when  the  paint 
is  applied,  but  in  many  cases  this  cannot  be  done.  In  such 
cases  the  surface  of  the  metal  should  be  corroded  for  which 
purpose  a  solution  of  sulphate  of  copper,  acidulated  with 
nitric  acid,  answers  well.  The  metal  should  be  washed  with 
the  sol  ution,  allowed  to  stand  a  couple  of  hours  and  then 
washed  with  clean  water  and  dried. 

Pillows  for  the  Sick-Room. —  Save  all  your  scraps  of 
writing  paper,  old  envelopes,  old  notes  of  no  use  for  keep- 
ing, old  backs  of  notes,  etc.  Cut  them  into  strips  about 
\  inch  wide  and  2  inches  long,  and  curl  them  well  with 
an  old  pen-knife.  Make  a  pillow  case  of  any  materials 
you  have  ;  fill  it  with  your  curled  paper  mixed  with  a  few 
shreds  of  flannel.  Stuff  it  quite  full,  sew  up  the  end  and 
cover  as  you  please.  These  pillows  are  invaluable  in  cases 
of  fever,  as  they  keep  constantly  cool  and  allow  a  circula- 
tion of  air. 

Sieves  for  the  Laboratory. — It  is  often  desirable  to  sift 
powders  into  different  degrees  of  fineness,  and  very  fine 
sieves  are  not  always  to  be  easily  had.  Those  made  of  hair 
and  wire  answer  well,  but  the  finest  may  be  made  out  of  the 
bolting  cloth  used  by  millers. 

Silvering  Glass  Mirrors  for  Optical  Purposes. — This  is 
best  effected  by  depositing  pure  silver  on  the  glass.  The 
light  reflected  from  a  mirror  made  thus  has  somewhat  of  a 
yellowish  tinge,  but  photometric  experiments  show  that 
from  25  to  30  per  cent  more  light  is  reflected  than  from  the 
old  mercurial  mirrors. 

Where  ammonium  aldehyde  can  be  obtained,  there  is  no 
doubt  that  this  is  the  best  and  most  economical  process, 
whether  used  on  a  large  or  a  small  scale.     But  those  who- 
have  not  had  considerable  experience  in  the  laboratory  can- 
not always  prepare  this  compound. 


64  AM  ATE  UK'S 

The  next  best  process  is  based  upon  the  reduction  of 
metallic  silver  from  its  ammoniacal  solution  by  salts  of  tar- 
tar. After  a  trial  of  several  formulae  of  this  kind,  all  oi 
them  more  or  less  simple,  as  well  as  efficacious,  the  follow- 
ing has  been  found  to  yield  the  best  results  in  the  shortest 
time. 

Silvering  Solution. — In  1  ounce  of  distilled  or  pure  rain 
water,  dissolve  48  grains  of  crystalized  nitrate  of  silver. 
Precipitate  by  adding  strongest  water  of  ammonia,  and  con- 
tinue to  add  the  ammonia  drop  by  drop,  stirring  the  solution 
with  a  glass  rod,  until  the  brown  precipitate  is  nearly,  but 
.not  quite,  redissolved.  Filter,  and  add  distilled  water  to 
make  12  fluid  drachms. 

Reducing  Solution. — Dissolve  in  1  ounce  of  distilled  oi 
very  clean  rain  water,  12  grains  of  potassium  and  sodium 
tartrate  (Rochelle  or  Seignette  salts).  Boil,  in  a  flask,  and 
while  boiling  add  2  grains  crystalized  nitrate  of  silver  dis- 
solved in  1  drachm  of  water.  Continue  the  boiling  five  or 
six  minutes.  Let  cool,  filter,  and  add  distilled  water  to  make 
12  fluid  drachms. 

To  Silver. — Provision  must  be  made  for  supporting  the 
glass  in  a  perfectly  horizontal  position  at  the  surface  of  the 
liquid.  This  is  best  done  by  cementing  to  the  face  of  the 
mirror  three  nice  hooks  by  which  it  may  be  hung  from  a 
temporary  frame  work — easily  made  out  of  a  few  sticks. 

The  glass  to  be  silvered  must  be  cleansed  by  immersing 
it  in  strong  nitric  acid,  washing  in  liquor  potassse,  and  thor- 
oughly rinsing  with  distilled  water.  If  the  glass  has  had 
mercurial  amalgam  on  it,  it  will  probably  be  necessary  to 
clean  the  back  with  rouge.  On  having  this  surface  per- 
fectly, chemically  clean, depends  in  a  great  measure  the  suc- 
cess of  the  operation. 

Having  arranged  the  contrivance  for  suspending  the 
glass  so  that  it  may  be  at  exactly  the  right  height  in  the 


HANDBOOK.  65 

vessel  that  is  to  receive  the  solution,  remove  this  vessel  and 
pour  into  it  enough  of  equal  quantities  of  the  two  solutions 
to  fill  it  exactly  to  the  previously  ascertained  level.  Stir 
the  solutions  so  that  they  will  become  thoroughly  mixed, 
and  replace  the  glass  to  be  silvered,  taking  great  care  that 
the  surface  to  be  silvered  shall  come  in  contact  with  the 
silvering  fluid  exactly  at  all  points.  The  glass  plate  should 
be  rinsed  carefully  before  replacing,  and  should  be  put  in 
while  wet.  Great  care  should  be  taken  that  no  air  bubbles 
remain  on  the  surface  of  the  solution,  or  between  it  and  the 
surface  to  be  silvered. 

Now  set  the  vessel  in  the  sun  for  a  few  minutes,  if  the 
weather  be  warm,  or  by  the  fire,  if  it  be  cold,  as  a  tempera- 
ture of  45°  to  50°  C.  (113°  to  122°  Fah.)  is  most  conducive 
to  the  rapid  deposition  of  a  brilliant,  firm  and  even  film  of 
silver.  The  fluid  in  the  sunlight  soon  becomes  inky  black, 
gradually  clearing  as  the  silver  is  reduced,  until  when  ex- 
hausted it  is  perfectly  clear.  The  mirror  should  be  removed 
before  this  point  is  reached,  as  a  process  of  bleaching  sets 
up  if  left  after  the  fluid  is  exhausted.  From  20  to  80  min- 
utes, according  to  the  weather,  purity  of  chemicals,  etc.,  is 
required  for  the  entire  process. 

When  the  mirror  is  removed  from  the  bath,  it  should  be 
carefully  rinsed  with  distilled  water  from  the  wash  bottle, 
and  laid  on  its  edge  on  blotting  paper  to  dry.  When  per- 
fectly dry,  the  back  should  be  varnished  with  some  elastic 
varnish  and  allowed  to  dry.  The  wires  and  cement  can  now 
be  removed  from  the  face,  and  the  glass  cleaned  with  a  lit- 
tle fledget  of  cotton  and  a  minute  drop  of  nitric  acid,  taking 
great  care  that  the  acid  does  not  get  to  the  edges  or  under 
the  varnish.     Rinse,  dry  and  the  mirror  is  finished. 

Water-stains,  To  Remove  from  Engravings  or  Paper. — 
Fill  a  large  vessel  with  pure  water  and  dip  the  engraving 
in,  waving  it  backward  and  forward  until  thoroughly  wet 


66  amateur's 

Then  spread  a  sheet  of  clean  white  paper  on  a  drawing 
board,  lay  the  engraving  on  it  and  fasten  both  to  the  board 
with  drawing  pins.  Expose  it  to  bright  sunshine,  keeping 
it  moist  until  the  stains  disappear,  which  will  not  be  long. 
This  is  simply  a  modification  of  the  old  system  of  bleaching 
linen. 

Wax — to  Bleach. — Bees-was  is  obtained  by  washing  and 
melting.  The  comb  is  yellow.  Wax  is  freed  from  its  impu- 
rities, and  bleached  by  melting  it  with  hot  water  or  steam, 
in  a  tinned  copper  or  wooden  vessel,  letting  it  settle,  run- 
ning it  off  into  an  oblong  trough  with  a  line  of  holes  in  its 
bottom,  so  as  to  distribute  it  upon  horizontal  wooden  cylin- 
ders made  to  revolve  half  immersed  in  cold  water,  and  then 
exposing  the  thin  ribbons  or  films  thus  obtained  to  the 
blanching  action  of  air,  light,  and  moisture.  For  this  pur 
pose  the  ribbons  are  laid  upon  long  webs  of  canvas  stretched 
horizontally  between  standards,  two  feet  above  the  surface  of 
a  sheltered  field,  having  a  free  exposure  to  the  sunbeams. 
Here  they  are  frequently  turned  over,  then  covered  by  nets 
to  prevent  their  being  blown  away  by  winds,  and  watered . 
from  time  to  time,  like  linen  upon  the  grass  field  in  the  old 
method  of  bleaching.  Whenever  the  color  of  the  wax  seems 
stationary,  it  is  collected,  re-melted,  and  thrown  again  into 
ribbons  upon  the  wet  cylinder,  in  order  to  expose  new  sur- 
faces to  the  bleaching  operation.  By  several  repetitions  of 
these  processes,  if  the  weather  proves  favorable,  the  wax 
becomes  quite  white. 

Zinc,  To  Pulverize. — Zinc,  though  a  tough  metal  at  or- 
dinary temperatures,  is  exceedingly  brittle  when  heated  to 
nearly  its  melting  point.  To  reduce  it  to  powder,  therefore, 
the  best  plan  is  to  pour  melted  zinc  into  a  dry  and  warm 
cast-iron  mortar,  and  as  soon  as  it  shows  signs  of  solidifying 
pound  it  with  the  pestle.  In  this  way  it  may  be  reduced  to 
a  very  fine  powder. 


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The  Amateur's  Handbook  of  Practical  Information, 

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Rhymes  of  Science:  Wise  and  Otherwise. 

By  O.  W.  Holmes,  Bret  Hart,  Ingoldsby,  Prof.  Forbes, 
Prof.  J.  W.  McQ.  Eankine,  Hon.  B.  W.  Baymond,  and 
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of  the  Terms  Used,  and  the  Methods  Employed  for  Pro- 
ducing the  Various  Classes  of  Wood  Engravings.  By  S. 
E.  Fuller. 

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ate sheets  of  engravings  for  transfer  and  practice 
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Plain  Directions  for  Acquiring  the  Art  of  Shooting  on 
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Lightning  Rods. 

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larged and  Fully  Illustrated. 

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will  not  infringe  any  patent.  Every  owner  of  a  house  or  barn  ought 
to  procure  a  copy. 


THE  AMERICAN 

JOURNAL  OP  MICROSCOPY. 

Noiv  in  its   Fourth    Year. 

Describes  all  new  improvements  in  the  construction  and  methods 
of  using  the  Microscope,  and  gives  an  account  of  the  discoveries 
made  by  it. 

It  addresses  itself  to  the  Naturalist,  the  Teacher,  the  Student,  the 
Physician,  and  the  general  reader,  and  aims  to  be  simple,  practical 
and  thorough. 

lllustrations_No  expense  is  spared  in  illustrating  such  subjects 
as  demand  it.  The  woodcuts  which  appear  in  our  columns  are  by  the 
very  best  artists,  and  our  fnll-page  plates  have  not  been  excelled  by 
any  work  produced  in  this  country. 

jeffi"  This  Journal  is  not  the  organ  of  any  Society ;  it  is  absolutely 
independent  of  any  outside  business  enterprise,  and  has  never  been 
controlled  by  any  professional  expert  or  other  interest. 

Gives  the  Proceedings  of  all  the  Microscopical  Societies  of  impor- 
tance. 

Published  Monthly  at  $1.00  per  year. 

Vols.  I  and  II,  handsomely  bound  in  cloth,  with  gilt  titles,  $1.25 
each.  Yol.  Ill,  bound  uniformly  Avith  Vols.  I  and  II,  SI. 50.  Vols.  I,  II 
and  III,  bound,  together  with  tne  numbers  for  1879  as  issued,  §±.00. 

J8®=  SPECIMENS  FREE. 

One  of  the  objects  which  has  been  steadily  held  in  view  by  the 
American  Journal  of  Microscopy  since  its  commencement,  has 
been  to  give  to  the  hardworking  student  the  greatest  amount  of  valu- 
able matter  possible  for  the  money,  and  during  the  vear  1878  we  gave 
our  readers  a  volume  which,  for  quantity  and  quality  of  matter,  is 
the  equal  of  any  journal  published,  and  superior  to  some  journals  of 
the  same  class  costing  many  times  its  subscription  price. 

THE    YOUNG   SCIENTIST. 

A  Practical  Journal  for  Amateurs. 

Devoted  to  Amateur  Arts,  Lathes,  Scroll  Saws,  Wood  Carving,  Boat 
Building,  Microscopes,  Telescopes,  Modelling  in  Clay,  Drawing,  En- 
graving on  Wood,  Photography,  Parlor  Science,  Legerdemain,  Aqua- 
ria, Scientific  Experiments,  etc.,  etc. 

SO   Cents   €t  "STe^n*- 

Liberal  Premiums  and  Club  Lists.  Specimens  Free.  Four  odd 
numbers  for  12  cents. 

VOLUME  I— BOUND— The  first  volume  of  this  bright  little 
monthly  is  now  complete,  and  we  offer  a  few  copies  bound  in  cloth, 
with  handsome  gilt  title,  for  $1.00  each.  As  some  of  the  numbers  are 
now  quite  scarce,  those  who  desire  to  secure  a  complete  set  would  do 
well  to  make  early  application. 


THE   AMERICAN 

Journal    of     Microscopy, 

POPULAR    SCIENCE, 


PROSPECTUS. 

The  object  of  the  Journal  of  Microscopy  is  to  diffuse  a  knowledge  of  the 
best  methods  of  using  the  Microscope;  of  all  valuable  improvements  in  the  in- 
strument and  its  accessories;  of  all  new  methods  of  microscopical  investigation, 
aud  of  the  most  recent  results  of  microscopical  research.  The  Journal  does 
not  address  itself  to  those  who  have  long  pursued  certain  special  lines  of  re- 
search, and  whose  wants  can  be  supplied  only  by  elaborate  papers,  which,  Irom 
their  thoroughness,  are  entitled  to  be  called  monographs  rather  than  mere  arti- 
cles. It  is  intended  rather  to  meet  the  wants  of  those  who  use  the  microscope 
for  purposes  of  general  study,  medical  work,  class  insruction,  and  even  amuse- 
ment, and  who  desire,  in  addition  to  the  information  afforded  by  text-books, 
such  a  knowledge  of  what  others  are  doing  as  can  be  derived  only  from  a  peri- 
odical. With  this  object  in  view,  therefore,  the  publishers  propose  to  make  the 
Journal  so  simple,  practical  and  trustworthy,  that  it  will  prove  to  the  advantage 
of  every  one  who  uses  the  microscope  at  all  to  take  it. 

ILLUSTRATIONS— The  Journal  will  be  freely  illustrated  by  engravings 
representing  either  objects  of  natural  history  or  apparatus  connected  with  the 
microscope. 

TRANSACTIONS  OF  SOCIETIES.— The  American  Journal  of  Microscopy 
is  not  the  organ  of  any  Society,  but  it  gives  the  proceedings  of  all  Societies 
whose  officers  send  us  a  report  As  the  Journal  is  devoted  wholly  to  Micro- 
scopy, aud  is  i*i  good  form  and  size  for  binding,  no  better  medium  can  be  had 
for  preserving  the  scientific  records  of  any  society.  Matters  of  mere  business 
routine  we  are  frequently  obliged  to  omit  for  want  of  room. 

EXCHANGES. — An  important  feature  of  the  Journal  is  the  exchange  column, 
by  means  of  which  workers  in  different  parts  of  the  country  are  enabled,  with- 
out expense,  except  for  postage,  to  exchange  slides  and  materials  with  each  other. 

During  the  first  two  years  of  its  existence,  the  subscription  to  the  Americak 
Journal  of  Microscopy  was  only  fifty  cents  per  ytar,  but  at  the  request  of 
imre  than  two-thirds  ol  the  subscribers,  the  size  of  the  Journal  has  been 
doubled,  and  the  price  raised  to 

ONE    DOLLAR    PER    YEAR. 

Four  copies  for  three  dollars.  Those  who  wish  to  economize  in  the  direction 
of  periodicals,  would  do  well  to  examine  our  clubbing  liht. 

Foreign  Subscribers. — The  Journal  will  be  sent,  postage  paid,  to  any 
country  in  the  Postal  Union  for  $1.24,  or  6  shillings  sterling  per  year.  English 
postage  stamps,  American  currency  or  American  postage  Btamps  taken  in  pay- 
ment. In  return  for  a  postal  order  or  draft  for  £1  5s.,  five  copies  of  the  Journal 
will  be  furnished  aud  mailed  to  different  addresses.  Make  all  drafts  and  postal 
orders  payable  to  John  Phin. 

BACK  VOLUMES.— We  have  on  hand  a  few  copies  of  Vols.  I  and  II,  bound  in 
ha  dsome  cloth  cases,  which  we  offer  for  $1  25  each.  Vols.  I  and  II,  bound,  and 
the  numbers  of  Vol.  Ill,  as  issued,  we  offer  lor  $2.50.  We  can  no  longer  supp  y- 
complete  sets  of  1876-7  in  sheets.  To  those  who  wish  to  examine  the  journal,  we 
will  send  ten  odd  numbers  for  25  cents.  «. 

The  Journal  of  Microscopy,  from  its  very  nature,  is  a  visitor  to  the  very 
best  families,  and  its  value  as  an  advertising  medium  has  therefore  proved  to  be- 
much  above  that  of  average  periodicals.  A  few.  select  advertisements  will  be 
inserted  at  the  rate  of  30  cents  per  line,  nonpariel  measure,  of  which  twelve 
lines  make  an  inch.    Addiess 

AMERICAN  JOURNAL  OF  MICROSCOPY, 

P.  O.  Box  4875,  New  York. 


JustPablisned.  lVol.,12mo.  Neatly  Bound  In  Cloth,  Gilt  Title.  Price  75  cents. 

HOW   TO    USE    THE   MICROSCOPE. 

A  Simple  and  Practical  Book,  intended  for  beginners. 

By  JOHN  PHIN, 

Editor  of  "  The  American  Journal  of  Microscopy." 

Second  Edition.    Greatly  Enlarged,  with  50  illustrations  in  the  text, 

and  4  full-page  engravings  printed  on  heavy  tint  paper. 

CONTENTS: 

What  a  Microscope  is.— Different  Kinds  of  Microscopes.— Simple  Mi- 
croscopes.— Hand  Magnifiers. — The  Coddington  Lens. — The  Stanhope 
Lens. — Raspail'3  Microscope. — The  Excelsior  Microscope.— Twenty-five 
cent  Microscopes  and  how  to  make  them. — Penny  Microscopes. 

Compound  Microscopes.— Different  kinds  of  Objectives. — Non-Achrom- 
atic Objectives. — French  Achromatic  Objectives— Objectives  of  the  English 
Eorm.— Immersion  Objectives— Focal  Lengths  corresponding  to  the  num- 
bers employed  by  Nachet,  Hartnack  and  Gundlach. 

How  to  Choose  a  Microscope. — Microscopes  for  Special  Purposes. — 
Magnifying  Power  required  for  different  purposes.— How  to  judge  of  the 
quality  of  the  different  parts  of  the  Microscope. 

Accessory  Apparatus.— Stage  Forceps,  Animalcule  Cage,  etc: 

Illumination. — Sun  Light. — Artificial  Light. — Bulls-Eye  Condenser. — 
Side  Reflector. — The  Lieberkuhn. — Axial  Light. — Oblique  Light. — Direct 
Light.     / 

How  to  Use  the  Microscope. — How  to  Care  for  the  Microscope. 

How  to  Collect  Objects. — Where  to  find  Objects. — What  to  Look  for. — ■ 
How  to  Capture  Them. — Nets. — ^Bottle-Holders. — Spoons. — New  Form  of 
Collecting  Bottle. — Aquaria  for  Microscopic  Objects. — Dipping  Tubes. 

The  Preparation  and  Examination  of  Objects. — Cutting  Thin  Sections 
of  Soft  Substances. — Sections  of  Wood  and  Bone. — Improved  Section  Cut- 
ter.— Sections  of  Rock. — Knives. — Scissors.— Needles. — Dissecting  Pans 
and  Dishes. — Dissecting  Mici  ^scopes. — Separation  of  Deposits  from 
Liquids. — Preparing  whole  Insec.?.— - Feet,  Eyes,  Tongues,  Wings,  etc.,  of 
Insects. — Use  of  Chemical  Tests.— Liquids  for  Moistening  Objects. — Re- 
fractive Power  of  Liquids. — Covers  for  Keeping  out  Dust. — Errors  in  Micro- 
scopical Observations. 

Preservation  of  Objects.— General  Principles. — Recipes  for  Preserv- 
ative Fluids.— General  Rules  for  Applying  them. 

Mounting  Objects. — Apparatus  aud  Materials  for:  Slides,  Covers,  Cells, 
Turn-Table,  Cards  for  Making  Cells,  Hot-Plate,  Lamps,  Retort  Stand, 
Slide-Holder,  Mounting  Needles,  Cover  Forceps,  Simple  Form  of  Spring 
Clip,  Centering  Cards,  Gold  Size,  Black  Japan,  Brunswick  Black,  Sheilac, 
Bell's  Cement,  Sealing  Wax  Varnish,  Colored  Shellac,  Damar  Cement,  Mar- 
ine Glue,  Liciuid  Glue.  Dextrine. — Mounting  Transmirent  Objects  Dry.— 
Mounting  hi  getty  center  library  tig  of  Whole  In- 

May  be  obta  ir  will  be  sent  hv 

3  3125  00012  3576      !  y 

THE  INDUSTRIAL  PUBLICATION  COMPANY, 

P.  O.  Box  4875.  176  Broadwav,  New  York. 


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THE     AME  ilCAN     JOURNAL    OF     MICROSCOPY.      A   Month 
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methods  ol    i  sing  it,  and  of  3  obtained.      ineiv  Illustrated;  £1.00 

per  yea;      Sp»  1  tve  back  numbers  (odd;  £01 

THE  YOUNG  SCIENTIST.  A  Bright  Mcmthly  for  Boys  and  Girls. 
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,    HOY.'  TO    U3Z    THE  >  MICROSCOPE:   Practi  lec- 

tion 1-/1J  Use  of  the  MicroscojMv     Intended  inners.     By  John 

i'"1  cond  Edition ; jgreatlv.JfrWrged  witl  h   the  text, 

and  4  full-page  engrav:.igs  on  h*avj£tintcd  paper.    1  mw,  cloth,  gilt.    75c. 
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DIATOMS:    Practical    Directions  *-for  Colic  ~u  ng,  Trans- 

it,  Preparing,   and    Mounting   Diatoms.      E-, 

EDWARDS,  CHRISTOPHER  JOH     S< 

eilL  :  7sc. 

COMMON    OTJECTfc    to/  the   Microscope.     By  Rev.  J.  G.  W 
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SIX   DAYS   OF  CREATION.     By  John  Phin.    izmo,  cloth. 

SHOOTING  ON  THE  WINC.     A  simple  little  work 

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THE  PISTOL  as  a  Weap.  not  1        n\    ,,  tndontheRo 

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ACCIDENTS-  What  to  Do  and  How  to  Do  it  in  Case  of  Accident. 
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HOW    TO    SEE    WITH    THE    MICROSCOPE.      A  Book  specially 

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